57<2 ?V
Harvard College
Library

LIBRARY OF THE
Graduate School of Education
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SEWING AND TEXTILES








745 64 54 s.
HARVARD UNIVECIT
GRADUATE SCHOOL CF EDUCATION
GIFT OF THE PUBLISHERS
APR 24 1922
K051094
Copyright, 1921,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
All rights reserved
Norwood Press
Set up and electrotyped by J. S. Cushing Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.


TO THE STUDENT
Have you thought about what you will do when
you finish school?
Perhaps you have decided to be a teacher, a
librarian, a stenographer, a doctor, a nurse. Perhaps
you are making plans to take a course in high school
or college that will fit you for one of these callings;
you would not consider yourself capable of entering
any of them without training.
Very probably you will be at some time the
manager of a home. Have you thought about the
importance of being trained for home-making?
It is only within the past twenty-five years that
it has been considered proper for the public schools
to train girls for the work which most of them will
do for the longest period in their fives, the work of
home-making.
Mrs. Ellen H. Richards was the first to say that
the schools ought to teach "right living;" and,
largely through her efforts and her inspiration, plans
have been worked out whereby girls while in school
can be taught many things about right living.
Right living begins with the home. Who makes
the home? The man may furnish the money to
build and maintain the house, but it is the woman
who plans and manages the home. It is her busi-
ness to see that the family lives in a sanitary and an
attractive house; that every member of the family


TO THE STUDENT
has clean, properly selected and well cooked food;
that every one is suitably clothed; that the family
income is wisely spent, and that all in the home are
helped to lead a happy and useful life.
No girl should consider the making and managing
of a home an easy piece of work, for in fact nothing
is harder to do and to do well.
When the girl takes work in school and college
that covers all phases of home-making, we say that
she is taking a course in Home Economics.


X
SUGGESTIONS
Illustrations and exhibit material that can be se-
cured will help to make the work more interesting.
The following firms furnish "school exhibits" that
will be found useful: J. Wiss & Sons Company, 15-33
Littleton Ave., Newark, N. J., scissors; W. H.
Compton Shear Company, 307-309 Bergen St.,
Newark, N. J., scissors; S. B. & B. W. Fleisher, 25th
& Reed Sts., Philadelphia, Pa., "Wool Processes"
($1.00); Cheney Brothers, Fourth Ave. & 18th St.,
New York City, silk exhibit and booklets, "The
Story of Silk" and "Glossary of Silk Terms";
Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass., cotton exhibit
and wool exhibit; Belding Brothers & Company,
Belding, Mich., booklet, "Silk Culture and Manu-
facture, Shown Progressively" (50 cents plus post-
age), and silk exhibit ($2.50 plus postage); Corti-
celli Silk Mills, Florence, Mass., book, "Silk, Its
Origin, Culture and Manufacture" (50 cents), wall
card, "How Silk is Made" (20 cents), box contain-
ing silk cocoons (5 cents), silk-culture cabinet
($1.25).
In addition to the reference-books that should be
found in the school library there are bulletins which
are very valuable as reference material. Write to
the following addresses and ask that publications
be sent to you and that your name be put on their
permanent mailing-list: Division of Home Econom-
ics, Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C.;
Children's Bureau, Department of Labor, Wash-
ington, D. C.; Department of Agriculture, Wash-
ington, D. C.; United States Public Health Service,
Treasury Department, Washington, D. C.; Federal
Board for Vocational Education, Washington, D. C.;
all State universities and agricultural colleges;


SUGGESTIONS
xi
American Home Economics Association, 1211
Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Md., "The Journal
of Home Economics" ($2 per year). In writing to
the Department of Agriculture ask also for a list of
Farmers' Bulletins and for publications issued by the
Office of Home Economics.





CONTENTS
PAGE
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PREFACE . . . . . . . . .
TO THE STUDENT . .
SUGGESTIONS . . .
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. .
PRELIMINARY LESSONS
The Sewing-basket
Implements for the Sewing-basket . .
PROJECT I- THE SEWING-APRON
Materials for the Sewing-apron. .
Stitches to Use in Making the Apron
A Piece of Cloth
Ginghams . . . . . . . .
Cotton
How Cotton Cloth is Made
PROJECT II — THE NIGHTGOWN
Cotton Materials Commonly Used for Underwear
The Sewing-machine . . . . . .
Other Cotton Materials . . . . .
Facts about Lace . .
Dyeing . . .
. . .
How Cotton Materials are Adulterated
Ribbons to Use in Underwear . .
How Silk Materials are Made . .
PROJECT III — THE GIFT TOWEL
Towels
. . . . . . . .
How Flax is Grown . . . . . .
The Making of Linen Cloth
Some Linen Fabrics . . . . . .
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36
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49
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67
70
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75
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xiv CONTENTS
Project IV —The Underslip paqe
Wool: Where it Comes From 80
How Cloth is Made from Wool 83
Wool Materials Commonly Used .... 87
Embroidery to Use on Underwear 90
Knitted Underwear and Stockings .... 96
The Cost of Clothing 101
The Care of Clothing 106
Removing Stains 110
Healthful Clothing 114
Project V—The Wash Dress
Selecting a Wash Dress 120
The Becoming Dress 126
Appropriate Clothing 129
Some Points for the Consumer 132
Some Textile Tests 139
Project VI — Christmas Gifts 144
Index
149


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Measuring to Find the Amount of Material Needed for
the Nightgown Frontispiece
PAGE
Good Types of Shears and Scissors 4
Pages from the Booklet on "The Sewing-basket" . . 7
Three Types of Basting 9
Method of Making Running-stitch 9
Method of Placing Needle in Hemming . . . .12
Gathers Ready for Pulling into Place .... 13
Method of Overhanding 14
The Cover of the Textile Book 19
A Page in the Textile Book 20
Cotton Bolls 22
Position of the Needle in Feather-stitching ... 24
Method of Sewing on Button 25
The Weaving-card 31
The Finished Sewing-apron 35
Steps in Making a Plain Seam 39
Machine-made French Seam 39
Lace Edgings of Good Design 44
Good Types of Beading 47
Ribbon Loom Weaving Silk for Neckties .... 56
Method of Folding Cloth when Cutting a True Bias . 58
Method of Joining Two Bias Strips 58
Finished Casing which Might be Used around the Neck of
a Nightgown 59
Silkworm 60
Silk Cocoons 61
Silk Moth 62


SEWING AND TEXTILES


SEWING AND TEXTILES
THE SEWING-BASKET
A sewing-basket in which to place the imple-
ments used for sewing is needed by every seam-
stress if she is to do her sewing easily and well. A
basket or box can be kept in better order than a
bag, and sewing-materials when kept in a box or
basket are less rumpled than when put in a bag.
The implements needed in the box are scissors
or shears, tape-line, needles, emery bag, pin-cushion,
pins, thread and thimble. In order to do good work
the implements must be of the right kind and in
good condition.
Scissors are six inches or less in length, while
shears are over six inches in length. It is always
best to buy shears when both cannot be purchased,
because shears are always needed for cutting out
garments.
Shears may be bent or straight in shape; the
bent ones are easier to use because they do not raise
the cloth far from the table in cutting. Select
shears or scissors that are made of forged steel and
that are not so tightly joined that they work hard.
Scissors or shears must be sharp if they are to do


SEWING AND TEXTILES 5
Needles, while very small, require a great deal of
care in manufacture, and pass through the hands
of a great many workmen before they are finished.
Ordinary sewing-needles are sold in packages with
twenty-five needles in each package.
There are three kinds of needles used for plain
sewing: (1) sharps, the longest needles; (2) ground-
downs, the next in length; and (3) betweens, which
are the shortest needles.
Needles are of twelve sizes, the sizes being num-
bered from 1 to 12, the No. 12 being the finest. A
package of needles may contain needles of different
sizes or may contain needles all of one size. Sizes
8, 9 and 10 will be used most in our class work, as
these are the sizes used for most ordinary sewing.
If needles and thread are too coarse for the sew-
ing that is being done, the stitches will never look
well. Select the thread that is near the size of the
thread in the cloth on which the sewing is to be done,
and select a needle just large enough to carry the
thread. Good sewing cannot be done with a bent
or rusty needle. Needles, when not being used,
should be placed in the pin-cushion or in a needle-
book and not left in the sewing.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
DIRECTIONS FOR LABORATORY WORK
Personal appearance: The hands should be washed be-
fore beginning any sewing. With a wool dress or skirt
some kind of sewing-apron should be worn, so that the
work will not become soiled from rubbing over the dress.
Position: Sit erect with back against chair and with feet
on the floor. Hold the work so that there is no need


G SEWING AND TEXTILES
for stooping over. Never pin work to your knee when
sewing. Sitting with a table in front of you, when
sewing, is the best plan.
Care of work: Needles should never be left in the material
when one has finished sewing, because dampness may
cause the needle to rust and this injures the material.
Thread-ends on all spools should be slipped through
the groove made for that purpose. The tape-line
should be neatly folded, and all other equipment in
the sewing-box placed in order. All materials used
should be neatly folded before they are placed in the box,
basket, or bag.
IMPLEMENTS FOR THE SEWING-
BASKET
The emery bag is used for keeping the needle bright
and free from rust.
The tape-line is always needed in doing accurate
work. Select one made of cloth, double, and stitched
on both edges, and finished with brass tips on the
ends. It should be sixty inches in length and every
inch should be divided into eighths.
Pins used in sewing should have a sharp point
and should not be coarse. English pins are the best
to buy because they are fine and sharp-pointed.
Pins are made from brass wire and require a great
deal of work in making. A "paper" contains 360
pins. Often pins to be used for sewing are sold by
the box. Never use bent or rusty pins in sewing.
The best pin-cushion is stuffed with wool rather
than cotton because needles and pins run through
the wool much more easily than through the cotton.
The pin-cushion may be used only for the pins and
a needle-book used for the needles.


8
SEWING AND TEXTILES
Sewing-thread is made from cotton, linen and silk.
Fine, smooth, even thread was not made until the
sewing-machine was invented. A great deal of
thread is now made in Scotland, but there are large
factories in America. Cotton and linen threads
are made in different sizes and are sold by number,
the higher the number the finer the thread. The
numbers do not run consecutively. Silk thread is
numbered by letters, A, B, C and D being the
usual sizes. Besides the ordinary sewing-threads
there are many kinds made for special purposes,
such as buttonhole twist and darning cotton.
When removing thread from the spool, measure
a strand the length of the arm, cut it from the spool,
and fasten the cut end on the spool through the
little groove made for this purpose on the edge of
the spool.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
LEARNING TO USE EQUIPMENT
Scissors: Learn to hold scissors correctly. Practice
cutting a straight edge. If bent shears are used, lay
a piece of paper on the table and cut across it with the
shears. How should they be held to keep the paper
as nearly as possible flat on the table? When would
it be convenient to use bent shears?
Tape-line: Make the following measurements with the
tape-line, and indicate length on piece of paper: f inch;
f in.; 1^ in.; ^ in.; £ in.; 1 in.
Thread: Measure length of thread to be used in needle;
cut from spool with scissors, never bite nor break the
thread. Fasten thread-end on spool. Thread needle.
Practice making knot in end of thread; a knot should
not be too large and should never have a "tail."


SEWING AND TEXTILES 11
running a heavy thread through the material when
it is being woven. The cord may run lengthwise
only, or may run both lengthwise and crosswise,
in which case it is called cross-barred dimity. The
material usually breaks or splits along the cords
when it wears out.
Lawn is a thin starched material, 36-40 inches in
width, and is made in white, in plain colors, or in
figures.
Both lawns and dimities fade badly when washed,
especially those made in figures. They also rumple
easily. These materials, however, make dainty
aprons and are often trimmed with lace or finished
with fancy stitches, such as feather-stitching. Lawns
and dimities are used also for summer dresses.
When selecting them for either aprons or dresses,
choose a piece that is firmly woven of fine threads.
This will require buying the medium or high-priced
materials, but it is more economical to buy good
material for such garments than to buy cheap cloth
that will shrink and fade badly the first time it is
washed. It is not economical to use time or spend
money for making garments from cheap materials.
Ginghams are used probably more than any other
fabric. They are of several types and vary in width
and price. They are made in stripes, checks and
plaids. Gingham of a good grade holds its color
when washed and does not rumple like dimity
and lawn.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
See if you can find pieces of dimity, lawn and
gingham in the scrap-bag at home. Bring these to


SEWING AND TEXTILES 13
folding. Baste the hem. In making the apron the hems
will be finished with the hemming-stitch down the side
and the feather-stitch across the pocket. In hemming,
hold the material over the first finger of the left hand
with the thumb on top of the hem. Hide the knot in the
thread under the folded edge of the hem. Take a tiny
stitch in the material close to the fold, but before pulling
the needle through, take up a tiny bit of the fold, holding

Gathers Ready for Pulling into Place
the needle in a slanting position with its' point toward
the left shoulder. Pull needle through. Repeat, taking
the next stitch a little beyond where the needle came out.
Fasten the hemming by taking stitches one over the
other. A hem is used as a finish for the raw edge of
cloth.
Gathering: Gathering consists of small, running-stitches
with the thread so drawn as to full the material. Gathers
must be "laid" if they are to go into a band easily.
To do this, fill the needle as full of stitches as possible,
then draw the material together. Wrap the thread
around the needle in such a way that the material is
held firmly, then pull down on the material, holding


14 SEWING AND TEXTILES
the needle firmly between the thumb and first finger
of left hand, doing the pulling with the right. When
the cloth is creased so that the gathers stay in place,
unwind the thread and pull the needle through the ma-
terial. Repeat with each needleful. Gather on a
single thread, being sure that there is a good knot in
the end of the thread. When the gathering is finished,
cut the thread without fastening, leaving it longer than
the space in which the gathers are to fit. Make a knot
in the end of the thread.
Overhanding: This stitch will be used in making the
pocket on the apron. Overhanding is used in sewing
together two selvedge edges or two creased folds of
cloth. It consists of tiny, slanting stitches taken
over the two edges, beginning at the right and sewing
toward the left.
Practice making these stitches on pieces of cloth, learn-
ing how to hold the cloth correctly.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why is a sewing-apron useful?
2. Describe lawn. For what purposes is it used?

Method of Overhanding


16 SEWING AND TEXTILES
Spinning is the twisting together of fiber to form
yarns. Weaving is the process of interlacing two
sets of yarns together so that they form cloth.
Perhaps you have made paper mats by weaving.
The machine on which the weaving of cloth is done
is called the loom. Spinning and weaving were
done in the home by our grandmothers, who made
the cloth used by the family, but now fabrics used
for clothing and household textiles are made in the
factory. Very fine machinery is used, and every
piece of cloth that we buy has gone through numer-
ous processes in the factory before it is sold in the
store.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
MAKING THE APRON
Textile study: Examine samples of cotton cloth. Pull
out both warp and woof threads. Is there a difference
in the size? Which is the more difficult to break? Pull
the yarn in pieces. What is left? Examine the selvedge.
Tear a piece of gingham. What happens to the edge?
Would it be best to tear or cut the edge that is to be
hemmed or gathered?
Material: Use white cross-barred dimity. The amount
of material needed is the desired length of the apron
plus 8J inches. Thread suitable for material. Needles
suitable for thread. Button. Heavy cotton floss.
Making the apron: Take your waist measure, being sure
that you do not pull the tape-line too tight. Add two
inches to this measure and you will then have the
necessary length of the band for the apron. Measure
along the selvedge of the cloth to see if the length is as
long as, or longer than, the required band length. Cut
off the selvedges, making the edges even. Straighten
both ends of the material. This is done by pulling out
a woof thread and cutting on the open line left after


SEWING AND TEXTILES 17
drawing out the thread. Always pull out a woof thread
which extends clear across the cloth.
For the band, cut off a piece 2\ inches wide down the
lengthwise side of the material. Draw a thread to
follow in cutting.
Turn a hem, \ inch wide, towards the right side of
the material, down each lengthwise edge of the apron.
Baste and hem by hand. Across the bottom of the
apron make a half-inch hem, turning it toward the
right side. Baste. This hem is to be feather-stitched
later.
Gather the top of the apron, running the gathering
thread \ inch from the edge of material. Take your
band material and, if it is too long, cut it off until it
is the required length. If it is too short, perhaps some
one using the same material as you are using will have
a piece of band material left, and you can sew this on
the end of your band, using fine running-stitches. Be
sure when you put the band on the apron that this
seam is inside the belt.
Find the middle of the top of the apron and the
middle of the band. Pin these two points together,
placing the right side of the band against the right side
of the apron. Measure seven inches from the middle
of the band toward each end of the band. Mark with
pins. The gathers are to be made to fit into this space.
Pin the sides of the apron to the band at these points.
Pull up the gathering thread until the gathers lie evenly
in the space. Wrap thread around the pin holding
the band and apron together, so that the thread is
tight and will not allow the gathers to slip. Distribute
the gathers evenly across the space and pin to the band
in several places. Baste apron to band, across gathers,
with \ inch basting-stitches. Sew together with running-
stitches, or stitch by machine.
Begin at the gathers on one side and fold the band
in about \ inch all the way around to the gathers on


SEWING AND TEXTILES 19
that is very beautiful, and the cloth is soft when
crushed in the hand. It is much more expensive
than either apron or domestic ginghams.
Zephyr ginghams are made of very fine yarns
and are thinner than other ginghams. They always
have heavy threads running through them, making
cords or ribs. They
are usually made in
stripes or plaids.
They are used for
dresses.
Madras gingham
is a rather heavy
cloth used for men's
shirts and women's
tailored shirtwaists.
Kindergarten ging-
ham or cloth is a
firmly woven, rather
heavy material, used
for children's romp-
ers. It wears well
and is a kind of ging-
ham that has be-
come very popular.
Scotch ginghams are very fine quality ginghams
usually made in plaid designs — the designs being
copies of the Scotch Highlanders' plaids, thereby
giving the cloth its name. It is an expensive
gingham, used for dresses.
Chambray is a gingham that is always woven with
a colored warp and a white woof. It is never woven
in designs but has the appearance of a plain color.
It is used for dresses and aprons.

The Cover of the Textile Book
Light green paper, with dark green design
in water color; tied with a green cord.


SEWING AND TEXTILES 21
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
How many kinds of gingham scraps can you find
at home? Keep them for the Textile Book. What
is the price per yard of the following ginghams:
Domestic, Apron, Chambray and Madras? Do your
local stores carry French ginghams? If so, what
is the price? Do ginghams cost more than they
did two years ago? Bring samples to school.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the apron (Continued)
Textile study: Make a Textile Book by using white
sheets of paper for the leaves and a colored or brown-paper
cover. Decorate the cover as desired. Cut the lawn,
dimity and gingham samples equal in size. Paste each in
the book by one edge, so that the samples can be examined
on both sides. Under each sample place the name of the
material. As other materials are studied they can be
added to the book.
Continue work on apron.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name the kinds of gingham mentioned in the lesson.
Describe each.
2. Which of them are used for dresses? for aprons? for
children's clothes?
3. Why does gingham hold its color well?
4. In what designs is gingham made?
5. What kind of weave is used in making gingham?
6. What is the price of the cheaper ginghams? of the more
expensive?
7. Is all gingham of the same width?
8. How will a knowledge of ginghams be of value to us?


22 SEWING AND TEXTILES
COTTON
More clothing is made from cotton than from
any other fiber. Besides the many kinds of cloth
used for dresses, waists, aprons and underclothing,
there are stockings, gloves, knitted underwear, laces
and embroideries which are made from cotton.
Thread for sewing, crocheting and embroidering is
made from cotton. Absorbent cotton is used by
doctors, and gun cotton is used for explosives.

Cotton Bolls
Cotton is grown in the Southern States. Texas
produces more cotton than any other state. The
principal countries growing cotton besides the United
States are Brazil, India and Egypt. There are a
great many different varieties of cotton.
The cotton seeds are planted in the early spring.
The crop begins to ripen in July and continues to
do so until November or sometimes December.
Cotton fiber is obtained from the cotton bolls, or seed
pods, of the cotton plant. The outside of the
cotton boll is brown, but when it is fully ripe the
brown covering breaks and a white fluffy mass
appears; this is the cotton fiber, and it clings to the


SEWING AND TEXTILES 25
you will need to run a basting thread to mark the
"middle line."
Buttons and buttonholes: The apron band should have
a button and buttonhole so that the apron may be put
on easily. Sew on the button, using one not more than
| inch in diameter. The

button is sewed on in
the following manner.
Use a double thread in
the needle. Find the
middle of the width of
the belt, one half inch
from the end; at this
point begin with the
knot in the end of the
thread on the right side
of the belt; run the
needle through a hole
in the button, place a
pin over the top of the
button and sew over it;
bring the needle down
through the opposite
hole in the button and
through the cloth to the
wrong side, then up
through the first hole,
and repeat the process
three or four times.
Remove the pin and
wind the thread around
the stitches under the
button, run the needle
through to the wrong side, and fasten with two or three
stitches, one over the other.
Measure exactly where the buttonhole should be
placed, and mark with a pin. The buttonhole should
Method of Sewing on Button


SEWING AND TEXTILES 27

stitch around the end, letting the purls all come to-
gether at one point. It takes about five stitches to
do this, and when it is finished the needle should be in
a position to continue the
buttonhole-stitch down
the second side. This is
called a "fan" end.
Turn the buttonhole so
that the unfinished side
is in the right position
for making the button-
hole-stitch. Continue
the buttonhole-stitch
until the other end is
reached. This end is to
be finished with a " bar."
This is made by taking
two or three stitches
across the end and ex-
tending them the width of
the buttonhole-stitches.
The bar is finished by
making the blanket-stitch
over these threads and
through the cloth. This
stitch is done from left
to right, the needle and
thread being placed in
the position shown in
the picture on page 137.
Make the stitches close
together. Run the needle
through to the wrong
side and fasten with two or three little stitches, one
over the other, being sure that they do not show on
the right side. The result should be a perfect button-
hole.

TV
Method of Making Buttonhole


28 SEWING AND TEXTILES
Practice making the overcast-stitch, the blanket-stitch
and the making of buttonholes. One eighth inch checked
gingham is good to use for practice work until the work
can be done evenly. Do not make the buttonhole on
the apron until you have learned to make a good one.
This will require practice.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. In what ways is cotton fiber used?
2. Where is cotton grown?
3. Describe the structure of the cotton boll.
4. How is cotton picked?
5. What is ginning?
6. Who invented the first cotton gin? When?
7. How is cotton fiber prepared for market?
8. Name four new stitches that you have learned.
9. Name some other uses for each stitch besides the use on
the apron.
10. How does overhanding differ from overcasting?
HOW COTTON CLOTH IS MADE
The cotton bales are shipped to many parts of the
world where factories use the cotton in different
ways. Some factories make only thread, others
make only certain kinds of cotton cloth, such as
gingham, while still others may make only under-
wear and hosiery.
When the bales reach the factory they are opened
and the cotton is removed from its wrappings. It
is then placed in a machine which blows out the
dust and dirt. This machine is called a picker.
The cotton as it leaves this machine looks like a
roll of cotton batting about six feet wide, such as
we see used for making bed comforters. This roll is
then placed in another machine in which the cotton


SEWING AND TEXTILES 29
is cleaned more thoroughly and the fibers are
straightened. When it comes from this machine it
is in the form of a long, soft rope. This process is
called carding.
The cotton rope is then passed through a series
of machines, each one making the rope smaller in size
and twisting it to make it stronger. This is called
spinning. The thread which is thus spun from the
rope, and is to be used in making cloth, is called
yarn.
The yarn may be bleached before it is ready for
the loom. Perhaps it is dyed, as in making gingham,
or it may be prepared for making mercerized cotton
cloth. The yarn is then sized. This is a process
in which starch or some other material is put into
the yarn to make it smoother, so that it will stand
the strain of weaving. Have you ever seen any one
use beeswax on sewing-thread? It has the same
effect as the sizing on the yarn.
The yarn is now ready for the loom. Cloth is
now made on looms run by machinery. Our great-
grandmothers made the cloth on hand-looms, which
was a very slow process. The first loom run by
machinery was invented in 1784 by Edmund Cart-
wright of England.
In preparing the loom for weaving, the warp yarns
are wound on a roller at the back of the loom and
are threaded through the frame of the loom and
fastened to the cloth beam in front. The woof yarns,
or filling yarns, are wound on bobbins or spools which
are fastened into the shuttle. In weaving, the shuttle
passes back and forth across the warp yarns, weaving
under and over them as the design of the cloth
requires. In all looms there are devices for separat-


30 SEWING AND TEXTILES
ing the warp threads so that the shuttle passes
through easily, and other devices for pushing the
woof threads tightly together. As the cloth is
woven, it is rolled on the beam at the front of the
loom.
The cloth, as it comes from the loom, is inspected
to see if there are any defects, and the thread-ends
are cut off. The cloth may then be bleached, as
in making white materials; or perhaps it is dyed,
if the yarns were not dyed before weaving. Usually
the cloth is starched, and at the last it is stretched
and pressed between heavy rollers to give it the
smooth finish we like on cotton cloth. It is then
wound into bolts and is ready for the market.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the apron (Continued)
Textile study: Examine the threads pulled from a piece
of cotton cloth. Can you see the twist in the thread? If
there is a small hand-loom at the school, practice weaving
on it. Examine the loom. Look at pictures of power-
looms. Perhaps there is in the neighborhood a factory
doing weaving which the class can visit.
Make a weaving-card by taking a piece of stiff card-
board and using a large darning-needle; make a row of
holes one inch from each end, having the holes one fourth
inch apart. Take heavy, firmly twisted, white cotton
floss, and thread it into a large darning-needle. Make
the warp threads by bringing the needle up through a
hole at one corner, taking the thread across and down
through the opposite hole. Bring the needle up through
the next hole, running the thread across the card to
the opposite hole, and so on until the card is finished.
Fasten the threads well. Use colored yarn for the woof


SEWING AND TEXTILES 31
threads. Thread the yarn into the darning-needle, and
do one inch of plain weaving on the card. The needle
takes the place of what part of the loom?
Save this weaving-card to use later.
Finishing the apron: Make feather-stitching with the
cotton floss across the half-inch hem of the apron, doing
it on the right side of the hem. This makes the finish
for the top of the
pocket. Turn up
the bottom of the
apron eight inches
on the wrong side.
Baste the hemmed
edges evenly to-
gether at each side.
Overhand these
edges together, using
very small, even
stitches. Take out
the basting and turn
the pocket over to
the right side of the
apron. Pin it down
evenly to the apron.
Measure the width
of the pocket and
divide it into thirds.
Mark each third with a pin. Make a straight line of
basting from the top of the pocket to the bottom at
each pin, thus marking the thirds. Feather-stitch down
these lines, stitching through both thicknesses of ma-
terial. Sew on the button and make the buttonhole.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. For what is the picker machine used in making cotton yarn?
2. What is the next process through which the fiber goes?
Explain the process.

The Weaving-card


SEWING AND TEXTILES 33
Cambric is a cloth with a smooth glossy finish.
It is like muslin or long cloth, but can be distin-
guished by its gloss. It is 36 inches in width.
Berkeley cambric is one grade that is very good for
underwear. Lonsdale cambric is another grade
often used.
Nainsook is a very soft light-weight material
which comes in different qualities, varying in price.
It varies in width from 36 to 45 inches. The finer
grades are beautifully finished and are used for
infants' clothes. Nainsook does not wear so well
as muslin or long cloth when made into underwear,
but is much used for finer garments.
Cotton crepe is a soft, crinkled material that does
not need to be ironed after washing. It is often
used for underwear for this reason. It is 27 to 44
inches in width and comes in different grades. In
selecting cotton crepe for underwear, buy the kinds
that are the softest and that do not feel harsh when
crushed in the hand.
Cross-barred and other dimities are used for under-
clothing. They do not wear so well as any of the
other materials mentioned in this lesson.
When buying muslin, long cloth, cambric, or nain-
sook, it is more economical to purchase them by the
bolt than by the yard. For making the underwear
in class we shall use long cloth, because it is soft and
easy to handle and yet wears well and launders well.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Collect samples of muslins, long cloth, cambric,
nainsook and cotton crepe. Perhaps you cannot
find all of them, but some will find what others


SEWING AND TEXTILES 37
There are two types of sewing-machines that may
be purchased:
1 — the double thread, or lock-stitch machine, on
which two threads are used. One can stitch on
either the right or wrong side of the material with
this machine, as the stitching should be alike on
both sides. This is the most common type of
machine.
2 — the single thread, or chain-stitch machine, on
which only one thread is used. One must always
stitch on the right side with this machine, as the
wrong side of the stitching is in the form of a chain-
stitch. When finishing the stitching, the thread
must be fastened carefully, as the stitching pulls
out very easily. One type of chain-stitch machine
is used for sewing together the tops of sugar, flour
and salt sacks, but this is a machine with a very
different kind of stitch from the one made by the
chain-stitch machine used for making garments.
Sewing-machines run by electricity are now used
in some homes. These are very helpful when there
is a great deal of sewing to be done. Machines in
garment factories are usually run by electricity.
A sewing-machine must be studied carefully, so
that one may understand how the parts are used
and how they should be cleaned and oiled. A
sewing-machine will not do good work unless it is
in good order.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Make a list of the names of different kinds of
sewing-machines which you have seen or heard
about. What is the price of a good sewing-machine?


38 SEWING AND TEXTILES
LABORATORY EXERCISES
Practice stitching on the machine: Examine the machine
to be used and find the following parts on a double-thread
machine:
1. Bobbin on which the lower thread is wound.
2. Shuttle which carries the bobbin.
3. Plate upon which the cloth rests in sewing.
4. Feed which pushes the cloth along when stitching.
5. Presser-foot which helps to hold the cloth in
place. How is it raised and lowered?
6. Needle-bar which holds the needle. How is the
needle fastened into the bar?
7. Spool-holder for holding the upper thread.
8. Bobbin-filler to use in winding the bobbin.
9. Tension, used for regulating the tightness of the
stitch.
10. Screw, to regulate the length of the stitch.
11. Treadle, upon which the feet rest.
12. Connecting-rod which attaches the treadle to
the machine or "head" on top of the table of the
machine.
13. Places for oiling. The book of directions com-
ing with the machine will help you find these places.
14. The method of covering the "head " when it is
not in use.
Practice running the machine without threading it
until you can work the treadle easily, and until you
can hold the cloth under the needle correctly. When
you can make a straight row of needle-holes across
the cloth you may begin making practice seams.
Be careful to have the needle-bar raised as high as
possible before removing the cloth from under the
presser-foot, so that you will not bend the needle-point.
What are the directions for removing the cloth from
the machine, as given in the book of directions?
Seams: A seam is the joining line formed by sewing
together two or more pieces of cloth.


40 SEWING AND TEXTILES
Practice making a plain seam and a French seam, both
by hand and on the machine.
Continue your practice on the sewing-machine at home
if possible.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. When and by whom was the first sewing-machine made?
2. Name some other men who helped to improve the early
sewing-machines.
3. What two types of sewing-machines are there? Which
is used in the sewing-room? Which kind do you have at home?
4. Name the principal parts of the "head" of a sewing-
machine. For what is each part used?
5. What is the treadle? How is it connected with the other
parts of the machine?
6. How is the stitch regulated on the machine?
7. When the sewing is finished how should the machine be
cared for?
8. Name four makes of double-thread sewing-machines;
name one make of chain-stitch machine.
9. Why is it important to learn to sew well by hand?
OTHER COTTON MATERIALS
There are many other kinds of cotton cloth which
may be purchased besides the ones that have been
studied. It is well to know the names of some of
the most common of these materials, and also for
what purpose each is used. Materials that can
be purchased at all times in the store are called
"standard materials." The ones we are to study
are standard materials.
Calico is a cheap grade of cotton cloth which is
used for making inexpensive dresses, wrappers and
aprons. It is made in figured designs, either on
a white or colored background, and is 24 to 36 inches
wide. It usually shrinks and fades when washed.


SEWING AND TEXTILES 41
Cheesecloth is a very thin, light-weight, loosely
woven cotton cloth, usually 36 inches wide. It is
used, like bunting, for decoration, for dust-cloths
and for many other purposes. Gauze used in
surgery is one kind of cheesecloth.
Canton flannel is a cotton material with a smooth
surface on one side and a long soft nap on the other.
It was first made to sell in Canton, China, whence
came its name. It is 27 to 30 inches wide and is
not dyed. It is used for interlinings in coats, and
sometimes for underwear.
Cretonne is a rather heavy cotton cloth made in
stripes and colored floral designs. It is 36 to 50
inches wide. It is used for draperies, chair covers
and cushions, and for bags and other fancy articles.
It often fades in the sun and when laundered.
Chintz is a fabric much like cretonne, and is used
for the same purposes.
Denim is a heavy, strong cloth used for covering
furniture, for pillows and for men's overalls. It is
36 inches wide and comes in various colors.
Flannelette is a cotton cloth with a soft fine nap on
both sides. It is often made in stripes or checks,
which are printed on a white or colored surface. It
is used in making kimonos, wrappers, or winter
nightgowns.
Organdie is a sheer, very fine, light-weight material
that is given a stiff finish. It is used for dresses
and waists. It is made in plain colors, or in figures
on a white or colored background. It is 18 to 60
inches wide, and different widths and grades are
sold at very different prices.
Percale is a closely woven, firm material used for
dresses or aprons. It comes in white or plain colors,


42 SEWING AND TEXTILES
or in figures on a white or colored background. It
is usually 36 inches wide.
Pique is a heavy white material used for dresses,
vests, neckties and bedspreads. Cords or figures
are woven in the cloth when it is made. It is 27
to 40 inches in width.
Sateen is a cotton cloth, woven like satin, and the
right side has a smooth, glossy surface. It is used
for linings, for petticoats, for covering furniture, for
bags and in other ways. It is white, Or made in
plain colors, or in figures on a white or colored
background. It is 27 to 36 inches wide.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Find samples of as many cotton materials as
possible. Ask the price per yard of the following:
calico, percale, organdie, cretonne and sateen.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
MAKING THE NIGHTGOWN
Textile study: Examine samples of each of the ma-
terials mentioned in the lesson. Which are plain-weave
materials? Use a hand microscope to study the ma-
terials. Compare calico and percale; canton flannel and
flannelette; organdie and lawn; cretonne and chintz.
How can you tell one from the other?
Cutting out the nightgown: Read the description of the
pattern given on the envelope. Open the pattern.
Study all the groups and rows of different dots, notches,
etc., and find what each one means. Does the pattern
allow for the seams? Measure from the shoulder at
the neck of your pattern to the bottom of the pattern.
Is the pattern the right length according to the measure-


SEWING AND TEXTILES 43
monts you made when planning the amount of long
cloth needed? If it is too long, turn up the extra length
at the bottom; if too short, allow the extra length when
cutting the gown.
Follow directions for laying the pattern on the ma-
terial given on the direction-sheet. Pin securely to
cloth. Make an allowance for extra length if needed.
How will you do this? Cut out carefully, making all
notches in the cloth that are indicated in the pattern.
Eemove the pattern from the cloth, fold it carefully
and put it back in the envelope. Where should the
pins be put? Fold together the pieces of cloth that
are left and place them in your sewing-box.
Make French seams in the gown, sewing them on the
machine.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name several cotton materials studied in the lesson.
2. Name the cotton materials that can be used in making
dresses; aprons; underwear.
3. What cotton materials are used for draperies?
4. For what kind of dresses should organdie be used?
gingham?
5. For what is cheesecloth used?
6. Name any other cotton materials that you know about
which have not been studied.
7. Why is it necessary to read the directions with the pattern
before cutting a garment?
8. Name different makes of patterns that can be purchased
at the stores.
FACTS ABOUT LACE
Lace is often used for decorating underwear.
When the right kind is selected it makes a very dainty
finish. The lace used with muslin, long cloth, or
cambric should be heavier than that used with


SEWING AND TEXTILES 45
better grades are very pretty. The kinds of machine-
made lace commonly used for underwear are:
1 — Valenciennes of two kinds: German, which
has a round mesh, and French, which has a diamond-
shaped mesh. Valenciennes laces are suitable to
use on nainsook or dimity underwear, on long cloth,
or on crepe. Valenciennes lace is made from cotton
thread.
2 — Torchon lace is made from linen thread and
sometimes from cotton. The cotton torchon is
cheap in appearance and does not look so well as
the linen after it is laundered. Torchon laces are
heavier than Valenciennes laces and are suitable
to use on muslin, long cloth, or cambric underwear.
3 — Cluny lace is a heavier lace than torchon.
Some kinds are very heavy and not suitable for
underwear, but are used as a finish on such articles
as doilies, curtains, or dresser-covers. Cluny laces
of the finer kinds may be used on muslin or cambric.
4 — Irish lace is a heavy lace, suitable only for
long cloth, cambric, or muslin underwear. It is
sometimes used with thin materials in making waists
or dresses. Perhaps you have seen some one
crocheting Irish lace. When fine thread is used,
and the work is well done, it is a very pretty lace
to use.
5 — Filet is another lace sometimes used on under-
wear. It is a square-mesh lace, which means that
the openings between the framework of the lace are
square. It comes in both heavy and light-weight
varieties, and makes a dainty finish on long cloth,
nainsook, or dimity. Filet is another lace often
crocheted by women to-day, but most of the lace
thus made is too coarse to look well on underwear.


46 SEWING AND TEXTILES
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Bring to school any samples of lace you can find
at home. Look at the picture of the laces and see
how many you can recognize.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the nightgown (Continued)
To make the hems on the gown: The bottom of the gown
is to be finished with a three-inch hem. Make a guide,
or gauge, to use in turning the hem; baste and stitch
on the machine. On the bottom of the sleeves make a
| inch hem. Baste and hem by hand.
Try on the gown to see if the neck is the size you wish.
If not, trim it around the edges. Turn a J inch hem
around the neck; baste and hem by hand. This hem
is harder to make because the neck is curved, and in
order to do it well the hem must be basted very care-
fully with | inch basting-stitches. Remove all bastings.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How was lace first made?
2. Name the machine-made laces that may be used for
underwear.
3. What kinds of lace are suitable to use on muslin, long
cloth, or cambric underwear?
4. What kinds are suitable to use on nainsook underwear?
5. Why is torchon lace not suitable to use with nainsook?
Valenciennes with muslin?
FACTS ABOUT LACE (Continued)
Lace edging is made with one straight edge and one
scalloped edge.
Lace insertion is made with two straight edges,
and is used between two edges of cloth, between


SEWING AND TEXTILES 47
two strips of lace edging or insertion, or with beading.
There are many combinations in which it is used,
and different ways in which it may be joined in sewing
to other material. Insertion and lace of the same
kind come in like patterns, and when both are to
be used on a gar-
ment, the patterns
should be the same.
Beading is made
with two straight
edges and with open-
ings large enough for
ribbon of different
sizes to be run
through. The open-
ings for the ribbon
are of different
shapes, — square,
round, rectangular,
or oval. Beading
is made from either
linen or cotton
thread.
Lace edging, in-
sertion and beading
are usually purchased by the yard, unless many
yards are to be used, when it is bought by the bolt.
It is usually cheaper when bought by the bolt.
The straight side on edging, insertion, or beading
should be finished with a strong thread which is not
broken at any point. We sew over this thread when
overhanding the lace to cloth or other lace, and in
order to make a good joining the edge of the lace
must be firm.

Good Types of Beading


52 SEWING AND TEXTILES
edge of the lace. The joining of the lace ends should
be done after the lace is sewed on the garment.
In putting the lace on the sleeve, begin at the seam.
Hold the lace and cloth over the first finger of the left
hand between the thumb and second finger, with the
lace on top. Overhand. By holding the edging in
this way, it is slightly fulled on the edge of the sleeve.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name three methods of dyeing materials; explain each.
2. How is printing done? Name some printed cotton
materials.
3. How can you tell a "dyed-in-the-yarn" material?
4. Which type of dyeing is best to use for materials that are
to be laundered a great deal?
5. Why does white-polka-dotted blue calico wear out?
HOW COTTON MATERIALS ARE ADUL-
TERATED
Cotton is the cheapest fiber commonly used in
making materials for clothing. It is not so hard
to select a good cotton material as it is to select a
good wool, silk, or linen material, because cotton
is not so apt to be adulterated. When we say a
cloth is adulterated we mean that the fiber has had
some cheaper material combined with it, thus making
the cloth less expensive and not so good in quality.
The material added is called an adulteration. For
example, a piece of woolen cloth, sold as an "all-
wool" material, in which some cotton is used, would
be adulterated, and the adulteration would be the
cotton.
Since cotton is the cheapest fiber, cotton cloth is
not adulterated, but sometimes cotton textiles are


SEWING AND TEXTILES 53
made of very poor, weak fiber, and the cloth does
not wear well. Sometimes the bleaching and
dyeing processes used in manufacturing the cloth
will be done carelessly, and the chemicals will
weaken the fiber so that the cloth does not wear well.
In order to test the strength of a cotton material try
tearing it lengthwise. If it tears very easily it is of
poor grade and not suitable for making into garments.
Thin materials, such as lawn, will tear more easily
than muslin, and in making such a test this point
should be remembered.
Another adulteration used in cotton cloth is
weighting. Weighting is used to make the cloth
seem heavier and firmer than it really is. Many
kinds of gums, glues, clays and starches are used
for this weighting. After a weighted material has
been laundered the true quality of the material can
be seen, as the weighting is largely washed out of
the cloth. By weaving a material loosely, and
adding weighting, a cloth of good appearance can
be made, and unless one knows about this method
of adulteration, the cloth may seem worth buying.
By holding a thin cloth up to the light it is often
possible to see the weighting between the threads.
In a heavier material the weighting makes the cloth
feel harsh, and when it is rubbed between the fingers
a fine powder will rise from it. If a heavily weighted
material is torn, the weighting can easily be seen
as it flies from the cloth. Many cotton materials
have small amounts of starch used in the finishing,
but when a large quantity is added it becomes an
adulteration.
Dotted Swiss is a cotton material in which there
are dots embroidered with thread. A good quality


54 SEWING AND TEXTILES
of dotted Swiss is expensive. Sometimes dotted
Swiss is made with dots of paste stuck on the
material. When the material is laundered, the
dots either disappear or turn a different color from
the heat of the iron. If one looks carefully, it is
always easy to discover whether the dots are of
paste.
Mercerized cotton materials are made from cotton
fiber that has been treated with chemicals in such
a way that a silky appearance is given to the fiber
and to the cloth made from this fiber. Cotton
poplin is a mercerized material. Mercerized cotton
is stronger than ordinary cotton. The silky gloss
does not wash off when the cloth is laundered.
Sometimes cotton cloth is starched and pressed until
it has a silky appearance, and when so finished is
often sold as "mercerized" cotton cloth. This
finish comes off in the first laundering. Real
mercerized cotton materials are expensive; the
imitations may often be found by studying the
prices.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the nightgown (Continued)
Textile study: Have a sample of dotted Swiss to ex-
amine. If possible, have one sample finished with paste
dots. Test muslin samples for weighting; for strength of
material. Have one mercerized cotton material to study.
Continue work on the nightgown.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Which of the commonly used fibers is cheapest?
2. What is an adulteration in cloth? Give an example.
3. What is the adulteration commonly used in cotton
materials?


SEWING AND TEXTILES 55
4. Give ways of testing cloth for this adulteration.
5. In what other ways may cotton cloth be made less
valuable to use?
6. What is mercerized cotton? How is it imitated?
7. Explain how dotted Swiss is adulterated.
RIBBONS TO USE IN UNDERWEAR
Ribbons of many widths and kinds are to be
found in the stores. They are made of silk, silk and
cotton, or of artificial silk. Ribbons are woven on
looms. A number of widths of ribbon will be
woven, side by side, on the same loom, to save time
in manufacture. Ribbons are made in all kinds of
designs, and in all colors, and one has a gay assort-
ment to choose from when buying. When finished
at the factory, ribbons are wound into round bolts
with a strip of paper between the layers of ribbon.
Baby ribbon is sometimes wound on wooden spools.
Ribbons may be purchased by the yard or by the
bolt. The number of yards in a bolt varies. Ribbon
usually costs less when purchased by the bolt, and
when buying a great deal of ribbon to use in under-
wear it is more economical to buy it in this way.
Ribbon for underwear should always be white, or
of a very delicate color, such as light pink, or blue.
Bright pink, green, yellow, or rose are examples of
poor colors to choose. Baby ribbon is the kind
commonly used for underwear. It comes in many
qualities. Some kinds are sold as "wash" ribbons,
which can be laundered. Not all "wash" ribbons
launder well, however, and it is always better to
remove the ribbon from the beading before launder-
ing a garment. The very cheap baby ribbons are
not firmly woven, and when used pull out of shape;


56 SEWING AND TEXTILES
if there is any strain on the ribbon, it may break.
Select a ribbon which has a firm edge and holds its
shape when pulled lengthwise.
Cotton and linen tapes may be used in underwear
in place of ribbon. If these are used, they will not

Copyright by Keystone View Company.
Ribbon Loom Weaving Silk for Neckties
have to be removed when the garment is laundered,
but they do not give so dainty a finish to the under-
wear as does the ribbon. They are good to use


SEWING AND TEXTILES 57
when one has little time to spend on the care of
clothing. Sometimes crocheted cords are made to
use in underwear. These are made from cotton
crochet-thread.
A tape-needle is used in running ribbon or tape
through the beading. The eye of the tape-needle
is made either lengthwise or crosswise of the needle,
and is wide enough to hold narrow widths of ribbon
without crushing them.
Sometimes, in elaborate underwear, wider ribbons
than baby ribbons are used. If the garment is
finished with casings, ribbon may be selected which
is the width of the casing. Wide headings, which
will hold ribbons of different widths, can be pur-
chased. The ribbon should be the width that will
pass through the openings in the beading without
being crushed.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the nightgown (Continued)
Measure the amount of ribbon needed for the night-
gown.
Continue work on the nightgown.
Feather-stitching in patterns: This may be used on the
fronts of nightgowns, corset-covers, or combination
suits. Make some designs on paper that you think
would be pretty to use for feather-stitching the front
of a nightgown. Try making one of these on a square
of long cloth. What kind of floss should you use?
Bias casings: These are used in place of lace and beading
on underwear. Use colored dimity and a square of
long cloth for making the practice piece. Use the dimity
for making the bias strips. To cut a true bias, fold
over the corner of the cloth so that the woof threads


60 SEWING AND TEXTILES
dreds of years ago in China, when an empress dis-
covered how silk cloth could be made from the
cocoon of the silkworm. Most of our silk fiber
comes at the present time from China, Japan, Italy
and France. Little silk is produced in the United
States, because labor is much more expensive than
in the other countries, and this makes the silk cost
more.
The silkworms come from eggs that are laid by a
moth. The little worm feeds on mulberry leaves
and grows very rapidly. When the worm is full
grown, it is three inches long. It then begins to

Silkworm
spin its cocoon, which it fastens to twigs. As it
moves its head back and forth, it throws out two
tiny streams of thick, sticky fluid, one from each
side of its head. As the fluid comes into the air it
hardens and cements the silk fiber of the cocoon.
It takes three days for the worm to complete the
cocoon. After the first day the worm cannot be
seen, but it can be heard working within.
In order to produce all the raw silk needed, silk-
worms are grown in nurseries which are specially
built for this purpose. Some silk is made from
the fiber obtained from the cocoon of the wild silk-
worm and is called "wild silk."


SEWING AND TEXTILES 61
During the fifteen to twenty days after the silk-
worm has made its cocoon, it changes from a worm
to a moth. This moth then moistens the end of the
cocoon and breaks its way out. In order to keep
the moth from coming through the end of the
cocoon and thus breaking the silk fiber, the cocoons

Silk Cocoons
are heated so hot that the moths are killed. A
certain number are allowed to come out, however,
so that they can lay the eggs to produce a new lot of
silkworms.
After this heating process the silk is ready for
reeling. This is the process of winding the fiber
from the cocoon. The cocoons are placed in basins


SEWING AND TEXTILES 63
are in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and
Pennsylvania.
When the bales reach the factory in this country
the bundles, or hanks of yarn which make up the bale,

Weighing Raw Silk, Japan
are first sent to the throwster. The throwster puts
the hanks of silk to soak in order to remove more
of the gummy substance from the fiber; then the
skeins are placed on reels, and the silk is wound


64 SEWING AND TEXTILES
from the reel on to spools. The spools are then
placed in a machine which winds and twists together
two or more strands from the spools so that they
form one yarn. This yarn is to be used for warp
threads on the loom and is called "organzine."
The yarn to be used for woof is not so good a quality
of silk and is only loosely twisted. It is called
"tram."
Silk is dyed in the yarn or in the piece. The best
grades of silk cloth are dyed in the yarn. In order
to dye the silk, the gum must be removed from the
fiber. This is done by boiling the silk yarn, after
which it is known as boiled-off silk. This gum
makes up one fourth of the weight of the silk.
Some manufacturers, in order to make up this loss
in weight, dip the silk in some material, such as
chloride of tin, which the yarn absorbs until it often
weighs twice or four times as much as the boiled-off
silk. This material added to silk is called weighting.
This weighting causes silk fiber to crack on creases
when worn, or to rot and crumble, which often
happens to silk garments when they are hung away
in closets for long periods. Black silks are weighted
more often than the light-colored silks.
In weaving silks many beautiful patterns are made
by the use of the Jacquard harness. This is a de-
vice on the loom which controls and regulates the
warp threads in the weaving so that the pattern is
woven into the cloth. This wonderful machine
was invented in 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard, a
Frenchman.
Sometimes in silks the patterns are made by
printing, stenciling, or embroidery. MoirS, or
watered effects, are produced on silk cloth or ribbons


SEWING AND TEXTILES 65
by running them through engraved rollers that
stamp the cloth.
There are a great many processes that may be
used in finishing silk materials. Sometimes fifty or
more will be used before the material is ready to be
sold as finished cloth.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Collect as many silk samples as you can to bring
to class. Can you find a piece of ribbon or cloth
finished in a moire pattern? Can you find a printed
silk material? Can you find one that has been
woven with the Jacquard harness on the loom?
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the nightgown (Continued)
Textile study: Learn to distinguish the following kinds
of silk cloth, — chiffon, crepe de Chine, China silk, pongee,
satin, taffeta, velvet. Use samples. Put into your
Textile Book samples of as many of these as possible.
What is the price per yard of each?
Finish the nightgown: What is the total cost of the night-
gown? Make a list showing what each article cost
and put this list in your notebook.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Where are most of the silk factories in the United States?
2. What does the throwster do with the silk fiber?
3. What are the warp yarns called? the woof yarns?
4. How do the two differ?
5. How may silk be dyed?
6. What is weighting? What kinds of silk are apt to
contain the most weighting?


60 SEWING AND TEXTILES
7. For what is the Jacquard harness used?
8. How is moire ribbon made?
9. Does silk require much finishing?
10. Which of the silk materials studied would be good to
for dresses? waists? petticoats?
11. When are silk dresses suitably worn?

The Finished Nightgown


68 SEWING AND TEXTILES
designs woven in the material are often very beauti-
ful. It is sometimes made without a design.
Turkish or bath towels are woven in such a way
that there are loops over the surface of the cloth,
and this gives them a very rough surface.
Towels may be bought ready-made, or the toweling
may be purchased by the yard and the towels made
at home. Some of the more expensive huckaback
and damask towels are woven with finished designs
across the ends. Guest towels are narrow, short
towels, often finished with hemstitched ends, cross-
stitching, embroidery or lace.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
MAKING A TOWEL
Textile study: Examine samples of glass toweling and
crash toweling. Examine samples of linen huckaback and
of cotton huckaback. Which do you think best to use
for making a hemstitched towel?
Materials needed for making the towel:
f yard huckaback guest toweling.
No. 60 white cotton thread.
Needles.
Cotton floss for cross-stitch.
Canvas for cross-stitching.
Hemstitching practice: Use a piece of heavy, coarsely
woven material upon which to practice hemstitching.
Straighten the end of the material; measure in 2\
inches from the end on the selvedge; mark with a pin.
Pull out four or five of the woof threads, beginning at
the point marked by the pin; be careful to pull the
same thread all the way across the cloth. Turn under
the raw edge one fourth inch toward the wrong side;
turn again to make a hem, bringing the first fold even
with the edge of the open space made by the drawn


SEWING AND TEXTILES 69
threads; baste the hem very carefully, using one fourth
inch basting-stitches.
Knot the thread. Hold the cloth so that the hem is
held as for hemming. Hide the knot under the fold
of the hem, beginning as you would for plain hemming.
Throw the thread up and toward the right, away from
the hem. Pass the needle under four of the threads,
pointing the needle down and toward the hem; pull
the needle through. Again pass the needle under the
same group of threads in the same way, but this time,
before drawing it through, take up a little of the under
\
Method of Hemstitching
cloth and also a little of the fold of the hem, making
the needle come out between two groups of threads.
This ties the group of threads together and also fastens
the hem. Continue across practice piece. Fasten the
end with two stitches, one over the other.
Double hemstitching is made by hemstitching along
the other side opposite the hem. Practice hemstitch-
ing until you can do it easily.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What qualities are necessary for a good towel?
2. Which fiber makes the best toweling?
3. What is glass toweling?
4. What other kinds of toweling are often used in the kitchen?
5. Name two kinds of toweling used for face towels. Which
is better to use?


SEWING AND TEXTILES 71
growth. In Europe this work is done by women and
children who weed the tiny plants, going through
the fields on their hands and knees. When the
flax is ready to harvest, instead of cutting it with
a machine as we do wheat or oats, they pull the
plants up by hand. The stalks are laid with the
roots together and are bound into bundles. These
bundles are stacked or hung up to dry.

Harvesting Flax bt Hand
When the flax is dried, the next process through
which it passes is rippling. This is a process in
which the seeds and dried leaves are removed from
the end of the stalk. When it is done by hand,
two men sit, one on each end of a long bench, in
the middle of which is a large comb which has
teeth about eighteen inches long, placed a short
distance apart. The flax is drawn through this
comb, and the leaves and seeds drop on a sheet be-
neath the bench. Machines with revolving cylinders
are now used for this work. The flax stalks are


72
SEWING AND TEXTILES
then tied in bundles and are ready for storage or
for the next process.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the towel (Continued)
Straighten the ends of the toweling. Make a hem an
inch wide at each end. How far from the end must the
threads be drawn for hemstitching in making a hem this
width? Baste hems; hemstitch both ends of towel.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. From what plant is linen fiber obtained?
2. Where is flax grown?
3. Which countries produce the best flax fiber? the greatest
amount?
4. Did Russia and Belgium produce as much flax as usual
in 1915-18? Why?
5. Describe the flax plant; its care during growth.
6. How is flax harvested?
7. What is the first process through which it goes after
drying?
8. For what is flaxseed used?
THE MAKING OF LINEN CLOTH
The next process through which the flax goes is
called retting. This is a very important one and
it must be carefully done. Retting is the process
by which the outside woody portions of the stem
are decomposed or rotted so that they can be removed
from the inner part, or flax fiber, which is to be used
in making cloth.
Retting is sometimes done by placing the flax
fiber on the ground and allowing the dew, the sun
and the rain to rot the outer layers of the stalk;


SEWING AND TEXTILES 73
or steam and chemicals are used; or the flax fiber
may be placed in running water or in pools, where
it is left until the outer layers are rotted. The last
process produces the best flax fiber.
The water in the river Lys in Belgium seems
especially good for this purpose, and some of the
best colored, finest and strongest fiber is produced
in this region. The flax bundles are packed into a

Retting Flax
Flax ponds being filled.
large wooden crate, lined with burlap to keep the
dirt out, and the fiber is covered over the top with
fresh straw. The crate is then sunk to a certain
depth in the water and weighted down with stones
and sod. It takes fourteen or fifteen days for the
retting when done in this way, and during this time
the odor from the flax is very disagreeable and the
water is often poisonous to fish and cattle.
The flax fiber is now put through the processes of
breaking and scutching, during which the outer


70 SEWING AND TEXTILES
in many qualities, varying very much in price. It
is a beautiful material when made of fine linen
fiber and woven in good designs. Table damask of
good quality is expensive, but it wears well and is
worth buying. Sometimes tablecloths are woven
with a border design on each of the four sides of the
cloth, and the tablecloth is then called a pattern
cloth. Table-linen sold by the yard has the border
design running only along the sides. Napkins are
always woven so that each has a finished border
design around the four sides, but they are sold, six
to twelve, in one long strip and must be cut apart
before hemming.
Linen damask is imitated in cotton, and table-
cloths sold as cotton damask can be purchased at a
much cheaper price than the linen damask. Cotton
damask does not have the glossy, smooth finish that
linen damask has, after it is washed, and stains are
much harder to remove than from the linen.
Sheeting, the material from which sheets are made,
is sometimes made of linen. Linen sheets are ex-
pensive; cotton sheeting is generally used.
The term "household linen" means the sheets,
pillow-cases, tablecloths, napkins, doilies and towels
used in the household. Many of the articles, how-
ever, may be made from cotton rather than linen.
Handkerchief linen is a fine sheer linen used for
handkerchiefs, dresses and waists. Linen lawn
and linen cambric are other very thin, fine linen
materials used for handkerchiefs, dresses and waists.
A great many handkerchiefs are now made from
cotton, but the cloth looks so much like linen that
it is difficult to tell them apart when selecting them
in the store.


SEWING AND TEXTILES 77
Dress linens are heavy materials used for dresses
and suits. When they are dyed, they are usually in
plain colors. Sometimes linen sheeting is used for
making white dresses.
When we buy an all-linen material, it is expensive.
Many of our cotton materials are finished like linen,
but do not wear so well nor retain their finish. It
is difficult to tell some cotton materials from linen
materials, and the purchaser often buys cloth she
thinks is "all linen", only to find later that it is all
cotton, or part cotton and part linen. There is no
certain way to judge an all-linen material in the
store.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Examine the tablecloths used in the school dining
room, or at home. How wide are they? How is
the design arranged? What patterns are used?
Examine the napkins. Examine a piece of cotton
damask and of linen damask used for tablecloths.
From among the samples found at home choose
the ones for the Textile Book. What is the price
by the yard, and the width of each?
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the towel (Continued)
Cross-stitching initials or a design on the towel: Do you
remember the sampler about which we talked in one
of the earlier lessons? This sampler was made with
cross-stitch. Cross-stitching is made over canvas which
has been basted to the cloth upon which the design is to
be produced. Patterns for cross-stitch can be pur-


78 SEWING AND TEXTILES
chased. These patterns show the number and arrange-
ment of crosses necessary to use in making the design,
and are often printed in the color to be used. The
patterns can be purchased in dry-goods stores, at the
pattern departments, or at stores handling art needle-
work supplies. Usually the canvas can be purchased at

Choss-stitching
Canvas basted to towel used as guide for stitches.
the latter place. Perhaps you can make a design in
the drawing class.
Find the middle of the towel end and baste a piece
of canvas, large enough for the design, on the right side
of the towel at this middle point, as far from the hem-
stitching as desired — probably about one inch — so


82 SEWING AND TEXTILES
If the ruffle is to be made of the same material as the
slip, more material will be needed. Ruffles for under-
wear are made from crosswise strips of material. In order
to know the amount needed, one must know: (1) how wide
the ruffle is to be, (2) how wide the hem on the ruffle is
to be, (3) how wide the seam is to be, (4) whether any
tucks are to be used, and if so (5) what size they are to be, and (6) how wide

the slip is around
the bottom. The
^^^^^P^^^^^^^^BMH length of the ruffle
should be about
one and one half
times the width
around the bottom
of the slip.
Work out the
following prob-
lem, using a piece
of paper upon
which to practice.
A ruffle is to be
put on a slip that
is two yards
around the bot-
tom; the hem on
the ruffle is to be
one inch wide;
there are to be three tucks, each one half inch wide,
finished; one fourth inch is to be the width of the seam
where the ruffle is gathered; the ruffle, when finished, is
to be six inches wide.
Materials to be brought to class next time:
Two-piece pattern for underslip.
Long cloth — amount required without ruffle.
Thread — Nos. 80 and 90.
Needles.
Method of Making a French Hem


SEWING AND TEXTILES 83
To make a French hem: Napkins, tablecloths and some-
times towels, are finished with a French hem. This is
made in the following way. Fold a plain hem one fourth
inch or less in width; baste; turn the right side of the
hem back against the right side of the material above
the hem; make a crease in the cloth that comes just
even with the fold of the hem; overhand along this
crease, running the needle through the creased cloth and
the fold of the hem, making small stitches close together.
When the overhanding is finished, press out the crease,
making the hem lie in the same position as a plain hem.
Practice making the French hem at school.
At home, hem a napkin or towel, which should be
brought to school for inspection when finished.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Where is wool fiber obtained?
2. Where is the greatest wool-producing section in the United
States?
3. What is the "fleece"?
4. What is meant by the "felting property" of wool?
5. In what ways is wool used?
6. In what way is wool adulterated?
7. What is shoddy? How and why is it used?
HOW CLOTH IS MADE FROM WOOL
When the wool reaches the woolen mill, it is
unpacked and sorted. The wool is dirty and greasy,
and one fleece contains fiber of several lengths.
The oil in the fiber is known as the yolk. If you
have ever put your hand on the back of a sheep,
you know how oily the wool feels. This oil protects
the fiber and keeps it soft and elastic. The wool
from the head, sides and back of the sheep is finer
in quality than that from the belly or shins. The


84 SEWING AND TEXTILES
fleece is usually separated into six or seven grades
for spinning yarns of different qualities.
The wool is now ready to be washed, or scoured,
and this must be done very carefully with soft,
warm — not hot — water and soft
soap. The wool passes through a
series of tanks during this process,
and in each tank is pushed back and
forth by means of wooden forks which
carry it forward.
The wool fiber is next dried in a
machine called a "hydro-extractor",
and is then beaten into
a fluffy mass. All of
the oil has been re-
moved during the
scouring, but in order
to make the wool soft
and elastic and better
for spinning, olive oil
is added to the fiber.
The wool may be
cleaned still further by
the use of a machine called a burr-
picker, which takes out any burrs,
leaves, or other dirt which the sheep
have picked up in the pasture and
which did not come out in -the
scouring.
There are two kinds of yarn made
from wool fiber: (1) worsted and (2) woolen. Worsted
yarn is made from wool that has been combed until
all the fibers lie parallel before they are twisted into
yarn. Worsted yarns are stronger than woolen

Construction of
Woolen Yarns

Construction of
Worsted Yarns


SEWING AND TEXTILES 87
with the narrow side under the wider side. Baste to
the cloth. This seam may either be hemmed by hand
along the fold, or it may be stitched by machine. In
making the underslip, hem it down by hand, as it will
look daintier and show less. Felled seams are used
in making corset-covers, drawers, some kinds of petti-
coats, and men's shirts.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the first process through which the wool goes
after it reaches the woolen mill?
2. Of what value is the "yolk" in wool?
3. Explain the process of "scouring."
4. Through what other processes may wool fiber go before
it is spun?
5. What kinds of yarn are used in making wool materials?
6. Give the process for making each kind.
7. For what types of material are the different kinds of
yarn used?
8. How is wool material dyed?
9. Explain the process of "napping."
10. What is the "fuzz" often found in hems and along
seams of wool dresses and coats?
WOOL MATERIALS COMMONLY USED
There are so many kinds of wool cloth that it
would be impossible for us to learn the names and
to know all of them in one lesson. Wool materials
of the best grades are expensive, and the price will
indicate something in regard to the quality. There
are always a large number of standard wool materials
on the market, and in addition many novelty ma-
terials appear each year. A novelty material is one
that is made for only one or two seasons, and while
the design or weave is unusual, the price is high
and often the quality is poor. It is not a wise plan


88 SEWING AND TEXTILES
to buy novelty materials if one is trying to select a
material that will wear well for a long period without
going out of style.
Serge is one of the commonly used wool materials.
There are many types of serge on the market.
Serge is made of worsted yarn in a twilled weave.
It comes in plain colors, dark blue being one of
the favorite colors. It is used for making suits,
skirts and dresses. It is forty-two to fifty-four
inches wide, and varies much in price.
Cheviot is somewhat like serge. It is heavier and
sometimes rougher in finish. It is used for suits
and coats. Some cheviots are called "diagonals."
Tweed and homespun are two materials used for
suits and coats. Both were originally made by
hand, but now are made by machinery. In some
sections of the Southern States homespun cloth is
still made by the mountain people. Homespun is
a loose, rough material made of coarse yarn. Tweed
was first made in Tweed, Scotland. It is a rough,
loosely woven cloth that is usually woven of several
shades of yarn, giving a mixed effect with no distinct
pattern.
Broadcloth is made from woolen yarns. It is a
beautifully finished material, soft and smooth, with
a glossy finish on one side. It is used for suits
and dresses. Broadcloth of a good quality is very
expensive. Ladies' cloth is much like broadcloth,
but is not so heavy. It is used for suits and dresses.
Alpaca, mohair and brilliantine are three fabrics
somewhat alike. They are all very smooth, and are
finished with a glossy surface that sheds dust well.
Fiber from the llama is used in making alpaca.
Mohair and brilliantine are made of fiber from the


SEWING AND TEXTILES 89
Angora goat. All three of these materials are used
for dresses and dust coats, and sometimes for men's
suits. All three of the materials are mixtures of
cotton and wool.
Albatross, cashmere, chaUie and Henrietta are
light-weight materials used for dresses, wrappers
and babies' clothes. ChaUie is often used for girls'
dresses. It is made in flowered or figured design,
the design being printed or woven into the cloth.
Henrietta and cashmere are made in twilled weave
and are much alike.
Flannel is a soft, napped material used for babies'
clothes, petticoats, dressing-jackets, shirts, and for
many other purposes. It is a material every girl
should be able to distinguish.
Melton and covert cloth are used in making over-
coats. They are heavy, firmly woven materials.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Find the price by the yard of the following: serge,
broadcloth, cheviot, flannel, and of any of the other
materials mentioned in the lesson.
How are blankets purchased? What do they cost?
Examine the rugs at home to see whether the
face of the carpet is like the back in any of them.
Can you find out the names of some carpets used
at home? How is rag carpet made?
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the UNDBBSLiP (Continued)
Textile study: Examine samples of materials studied
in lesson. Mount samples in Textile Book. Make one


90 SEWING AND TEXTILES
inch of twill weaving on your textile weaving-card. This is
done in the following way. First row, under three threads
and over three threads, under three and over three, across
the row. The second row is begun by bringing up the
needle one thread farther to the right than in the group
over which the needle passed in the first row; then con-
tinue over three and under three, etc. Third row: the
needle should be brought up one thread farther to the
right than in the group over which the needle passed in
the second row, then continue over three and under
three, etc. This weaving forms a diagonal line of stitches
that go over the warp threads. Can you find the diagonal
in cheviot or serge?
Continue work on the slip.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name three materials for men's suits.
2. Name four light-weight materials used for dresses.
3. Name two materials suitable for dust coats.
4. Name two materials used for men's overcoats.
5. What is the difference between cheviot and serge?
between broadcloth and ladies' cloth?
6. How is flannel used?
7. What is a standard material? a novelty material?
8. Is it wise to buy novelty materials? Why?
EMBROIDERY TO USE ON UNDERWEAR
All embroidery on cloth was originally done by
hand. Now only a small part of the embroidery
used is hand-made, as we have machines that can
imitate hand embroidery on cloth. Perhaps you
know some one who has a piece of old hand-made
embroidery that you can examine. The stitches
are beautifully made, and some of them are very


SEWING AND TEXTILES 93
pattern are held together with fine thread are not
best to select when one wishes the embroidery to
wear well. Embroidery made in simple designs,
instead of very elaborate or poorly constructed
designs is always the better selection. Cheap em-
broidery spoils the appearance of a garment and
lessens its value because it will very soon become
shabby in appearance. If one cannot afford to buy
good embroidery, it is better to use none at all,
and to finish the garment in some other way.
Insertion is usually sold with a strip of the cloth
left on each side of the insertion. Sometimes the
edges are both finished with a scallop such as is used
on the edging.
Beadings are sold with a strip of the cloth down
each side of the beading. They come in various
widths.
Embroidered material used in making waists and
yokes comes in widths like cloth, and is called all-
over. Embroidery flouncings are wide embroidery
edgings, often wide enough to make the length of a
petticoat or dress skirt.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Find any samples of embroidery that you can to
bring to school. Get prices of as many as possible.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the underslip {Continued)
Textile study: Examine samples of embroidery. Which
kinds are good to use with long cloth? Which are of
the best design? Why? Examine the scalloped edge.
Mount samples in Textile Book. Look in the encyclo-


94 SEWING AND TEXTILES
pedia and see what you can find about hand-made em-
broidery. Write a story on this subject to read at school.
To make the placket in the underslip: There are several
kinds of plackets that may be used for the slip and on
petticoats. One of them is the hemmed placket. Down

Back-stitching
one side of the placket make a one fourth inch hem,
running the hem to a point at the bottom of the placket.
Down the other side make a hem three fourths inch
wide, running it down straight. Lap the wide hem
over the narrow hem and make two rows of back-
stitching across the bottom on the right side and through

Placket
Method of making the continuous placket — bound and faced-


SEWING AND TEXTILES 95
both hems. A hemmed placket cannot be used if the
slip is exactly the right width across the back. Why
not?
Back-stitching is made by taking one running-stitch
over and one under the cloth; then bring the needle
back and put it in the hole made by the end of the first
stitch, and bring it out the distance of one stitch beyond
the end of the second stitch. Pull the thread through.
Bring the needle back
and put it in the hole
made by the end of
the second stitch; then
bring it out the distance
of one stitch beyond the
end of the third stitch
and pull the thread
through. Repeat until
the work is completed.
Always work on the
right side of the ma-
terial. Why? Back-
stitching on the right
side looks like machine-
stitching.
Another placket which
may be used is the con-
tinuous placket, bound
and faced. Cut a length-
wise strip of material twice the length of the placket and
twice the desired width, allowing for seams. Place right
side of facing to right side of garment. Baste in a very
narrow seam, about one fourth inch down and up the
sides of the placket. At the bottom of the placket run
the seam to a point, making it as narrow as it will hold.
Stitch seam, remove bastings. Turn under the other
edge of facing one fourth inch. On the side of the placket
to be used for the buttons baste this folded edge along

The Finished Placket


SEWING AND TEXTILES 97
The ends of sleeves and the legs of drawers in
underwear are often finished in this way.
Knitted goods ravel out badly when a stitch in the
garment is broken, and for this reason stockings and
underwear should be mended as soon as the break
appears and before it has raveled and become a
large hole.
Stockings are made in different ways. The cheap-
est stockings are made by knitting one long tube
and cutting it into desired lengths, after which the
heel and toe are sewed and the stocking is shrunk
into shape. The best stockings are knitted in a flat
piece, shaped exactly as desired for the stocking,
and the shaped piece is sewed together on sewing-
machines made for the purpose. This seam runs
down the leg of the stocking and along the bottom
of the foot to the toe. This stocking is called "full-
fashioned." Stockings are made of cotton, wool,
silk, or lisle, which is an especially prepared cotton
thread. Cotton and lisle stockings are most com-
monly worn; silk are the most expensive and not
suitable for hard usage. Wool stockings are some-
times worn in winter.
Some stockings are made from artificial silk which
is a manufactured product made in several ways and
is used to imitate true silk. The best grades of
artificial silk stockings wear better than the poor or
medium grades made of true silk, and cost much less.
Artificial silk is also used in making dress materials,
sweaters, neckties, ribbons and dress trimmings. It
can usually be distinguished by its high luster.
The usual kinds of underwear are made of cotton,
wool and silk, or of combinations of cotton and wool,
or of silk and wool. Knitted underwear, to be warm,


102 SEWING AND TEXTILES
In order to know just how much money is actually
spent each month, and during the entire year, a
record of expenditures is kept, and this record is
called a household account. At the end of the year,
by checking up this household account, one can
find whether more or less money has been spent for
each division than the amount planned in the
budget.
Many persons spend more money for clothing than
is necessary because they do not buy wisely; they
select materials and garments that do not wear well,
that fade, that are not suitable for the purpose, or
that do not launder well. Persons who are careless
about the care of their clothing spend more money
than those who keep their clothing repaired, pressed
and clean. Every girl should remember that her
clothing is expensive, and should consider it her
duty to take as good care of it as possible.
In order to realize the cost of clothing, it would be
well for each girl to keep an account of the money
spent for her clothing each year, even though she
does not buy it herself. Such an account will be
begun in the "Clothing Book." Perhaps each
member of the class will continue keeping it, so that
when she begins buying her own clothing she will
know the usual price of each article.
The buying of "fads", exaggerated styles, or
novelty materials is not wise when clothing must
be worn for very long periods. Fads in clothing
go out of fashion quickly and must be discarded.
The better plan is to select standard materials of
good quality and then have the garments made in
such a way that they may be worn two or even
three years without being out of fashion.


SEWING AND TEXTILES 103
Ready-made garments often cost more and wear a
shorter period than do garments made at home.
Sometimes, however, it is a wise plan to buy ready-
made clothing, especially when one is busy and when
energy and strength must be saved for the daily
work.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Make a list of all the articles of clothing you have.
Ask your mother to tell you the price paid for each
article, if possible. Which garments, if any, are
to be worn more than one year? What is the total
amount spent for your clothing?
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the underslip (Continued)
Textile study: Make a booklet consisting of several
sheets of plain white paper with a cover of brown or other
colored paper. Decorate this cover in any way you wish,
making the title " The Clothing Book." When you have
completed your list of clothing with the costs, put the
items in the book in this manner:
Shoes
1 pr. high shoes for school
1 pr. best shoes ....
1 pr. pumps
1 pr. rubbers ....
$ 5.00
5.00
4.00
1.00
Hats
1 school hat . .
1 best winter hat
1 best summer hat
1 sun hat . . .
3.50
5.00
5.00
1.00


104 SEWING AND TEXTILES
Dresses
1 gingham dress (made at home)
1 percale dress (made at home)
1 serge dress (ready-made) . .
Continue until the list is complete.
i 3.00
2.00
12.00
To finish the bottom of the slip: Try on the slip and
straighten the lower edge by marking an even distance
from the floor around
the bottom of the
slip, using a yard-
stick to measure up
from the floor. After
taking off the slip,
trim off around the
bottom by following
the marks. Make
a hem two inches
wide. In basting
down the hem on
the curve, it may be
necessary to lay some
tiny pleats; do this
by straightening out
the folded edge, mak-
ing the pleat, and
then folding down
the edge across this
pleat. Stitch the
hem by machine, thus
finishing the bottom
of the slip.
To put on the ruffle: The ruffle is to be put on with a
tuck. Measure up from the bottom of the hem on
the slip the width of the ruffle; mark with a pin; three
eighths inch above this pin make a second marking.
Measure from this second mark to the bottom of the

Straightening the Bottom of the
Underslip


SEWING AND TEXTILES 107
skirt at the band. The loops should be hung over
hooks arranged at such a distance apart that the
band hangs straight. Waists should be folded
straight and laid in drawers or boxes. Do not
pack too many waists in one drawer, as this is apt
to crush and wrinkle them. Cover-bags may be
used over dresses or coats that are not often worn.
These bags will protect the garments from dust and
dirt of various kinds. A cover-bag is described
in the section on Christmas Gifts.
Wool clothing should be brushed often, and spots
should be removed as soon as possible after they are
discovered.
Cotton and linen clothing must be washed care-
fully. The color should be "set" in a material before
it is laundered the first time. Salt, vinegar and
sugar of lead are materials used for setting colors.
Perhaps you can find the method of doing this in
some of the bulletins or books in the library.
Colored materials should not be hung in the sun to
dry.
Wool skirts, coats and suits should be pressed
often enough to keep them fresh in appearance.
A wrinkled skirt, with the pleats out of shape, can
never look well, and the person wearing such a
garment is not well dressed. In pressing wool, if
the material is pressed on the right side, a cloth is
always used between the material and the iron.
The cloth is usually dampened and placed over the
material, and the cloth is pressed until it is dry.
The pressing may be continued on the wrong side.
Much practice is necessary before pressing can be
done well. Garments may be sent to pressing and
cleansing establishments to be pressed, but this is


lOS SEWING AND TEXTILES
expensive, and many garments can be pressed at
home and look well if the work is carefully done.
Hooks and eyes, snap fasteners and buttons should
always be sewed on as soon as they come off the
garment. A skirt or waist that is pinned together
looks very untidy, and an untidy person is never a
well dressed person.
Stockings should be mended neatly and never
worn with holes in them. Garments that need
patching should be mended carefully, and before they
are laundered, if possible.
Hats should be brushed with a soft brush to remove
the dust, and when worn only occasionally should
be kept in a box or drawer away from dust.
Shoes that are kept clean and polished wear longer
and look neater. When heels become worn and
uneven the shoes should be taken to the repair shop
to have the heels straightened, for "run-down" heels
look very untidy. Shoe laces should not be used
after they are broken. Knots in the laces spoil the
appearance of the shoes. Shoe buttons should always
be replaced as soon as they come off. Rubbers that
are muddy should be washed before being worn again.
Every girl wishes to look well dressed, and to
effect this every garment must be neat as well as
becoming. No garment looks neat unless it is
well cared for. Every girl should form the habit
of keeping her clothes in good condition, and should
learn to do the work herself.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Ask some one to show you how to press your wool
skirt or dress. Perhaps you can do this at school,


112 SEWING AND TEXTILES
Some stains can be removed by using something
that will absorb them and which is called an absorb-
ent. Absorbents are used principally for removing
grease stains. Those commonly used are blotting-
paper, talcum powder, starch, French chalk and
fuller's earth.
Some stains can be removed by using a material
that will dissolve them. These materials are called
solvents. The most common solvent is water.
Other solvents often used are gasoline, ether and
chloroform. Gasoline, ether and chloroform should
be used out-of-doors, or by an open window, and
always where there is no fire.
The following methods may be used in removing
some of the common stains:
Fruit stains in white wash material. Pour boiling
water through them; use a bleaching agent when
necessary.
Coffee and tea stains on white wash material. When
cream has been used in the tea or coffee, rinse with
cold water; then pour boiling water through the
stain; bleach if necessary. Stains made by clear
coffee or tea should have boiling water poured
through them without rinsing in the cold water;
bleach if necessary.
Grass stains on white or colored material. Use
cold water; if the stain is fresh, use soap and cold
water. When on white wash materials, a bleaching
agent may be used.
Ink stains. On white wash material use a bleach-
ing agent.
Grease and oil stains. Use an absorbent; or
warm water and soap; or a solvent.
Paint stains. Use chloroform or turpentine. An


SEWING AND TEXTILES 113
old paint stain on white material may be removed
with a bleaching agent.
When removing a stain from colored materials,
always test a sample of the cloth before using the
stain-remover on the cloth. Sometimes the stain
will show less than the spot that is left after removing
the stain.
Wool materials, when stained very badly, should
be sent to the "dry-cleaners." Grease spots can
usually be removed successfully at home.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the underslip (Continued)
Textile study: Remove an ink stain from a white
cotton fabric. Stretch the material across the top of a
small bowl, with the stain over the middle of the bowl;
dampen the stain with water, using a medicine-dropper;
apply the bleaching agent with the medicine-dropper;
use a second dropper and apply clean warm water to the
stain; use the bleaching agent again; rinse; repeat
until the stain is removed; rinse with a little ammonia
in the water; rinse very thoroughly with clear water.
Dry before pressing.
Remove a grease spot from a wool material. Place a
layer of clean, white blotting-paper underneath the spot
and one on top of the spot; press with a hot iron. Per-
haps it will be necessary to try warm soap and water.
Apply this with a piece of cloth or sponge; rinse with
warm water. When using any other solvent than water,
place the stain over a piece of blotting-paper on a flat
surface and rub with a cloth or sponge dipped in the
solvent; rub towards the center of the spot, as this helps
to avoid the " ring " often formed around the spot. Some-
times rubbing the surface near the spot with the solvent,


114 SEWING AND TEXTILES
spreading it out over the surface, helps to remove the
"ring."
Continue work on the underslip.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What three groups of stain-removers are commonly used?
2. Give examples of each group.
3. Should a bleaching agent be used on colored materials?
Why?
4. How may grease spots be removed from wool materials?
5. How should the following stains be removed from white
wash materials: clear coffee, grass, paint, and ink?
HEALTHFUL CLOTHING
Every girl, at the present time, wishes to be
healthy and strong. She wishes to be strong enough
to enjoy tramping, playing tennis, riding horseback,
sweeping, or hoeing in a garden, without being "worn
out." No one can do any of these things easily
unless the clothing she wears permits perfect freedom
of the body and is comfortable in every way.
A healthy body is kept so by frequent bathing, by
changing underclothing often and by wearing suitable
clothing. It is necessary to bathe the body oftener
than once a week. Many people take a bath every
day, and when one forms the habit of doing this one
feels uncomfortable unless the bath is taken regularly.
Underclothing worn next to the skin should be
changed two or three times a week if it is to readily
and thoroughly absorb the moisture from the body.
Underclothing should fit in such a way that it does
not draw or pull at any point. Union suits are very
uncomfortable if they are too small and should not
then be worn. Wool underwear that is carelessly


116 SEWING AND TEXTILES
A shoe should have a sole thick enough to keep out
dampness and to make walking easy. In stormy
weather rubbers keep the feet dry and also prevent
the rotting of the thread used in making the shoe.
Tight corsets or waistbands are not only very
uncomfortable but often cause ill health. Corset
waists and corsets should fit well and be loose
enough to allow perfect freedom of the body. Skirt
and waist bands should be tight enough to stay in
place, but not tight enough to stop a free circulation
of blood through the body. No one looks well in
tight clothing. A fleshy person who wears tight
corsets and bands pushes the body into such a
position that the flesh shows more than it would if
the waist were left the normal size.
Wearing too much clothing is as unhealthful as
wearing too little. Select the amount and kind that
will suit the climate, the age, the work one is doing
and the state of health. Sick people and old people
require more clothing than young people who are
strong and well. A person working out of doors in
winter requires more clothing than a person who
works in the house all day. Every one requires less
clothing in warm weather than in winter. Remem-
ber that clothing has a great deal to do with the
state of health, and that it should be selected very
carefully if the body is to be kept in a healthy
condition.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the UNDERSLip (Continued)
To finish the neck and armholes of the slip: The neck is
to be finished with narrow embroidery edging, about
one inch in width. Select a pattern that matches or


SEWING AND TEXTILES 117
looks well with the pattern in the embroidery used in
the ruffle. Enough embroidery edging should be pur-
chased to go one and one third times around the neck
and each armhole. How will you measure for this
amount? Divide the embroidery into three pieces —
one for the neck and one for each armhole. How will
you do this?
Make a one-eighth-inch hem on each end of the piece
for the neck. Gather ruffle one fourth inch from the
edge. Join the
ends of each
piece for the
armholes, using
the same joining
as used in the
ruffle. Gather
each one fourth
inch from the
edge.
Trim around
the neck and
armholes. Find
the middle of
the length of the
embroidery for
the neck, and
pin this to the
neck of the slip
at the middle of
the front so that
the right side of
the embroidery
is against the
right side of the slip, and the raw edges are together.
Pin the ends of the strip to the ends of the neck in the
same way. Pull the gathers into position; fasten the
gathering thread; divide the gathers evenly around

Method of Basting Bias Strips around
Armhole


118 SEWING AND TEXTILES
the neck, and pin into place at several points. Baste
ruffle to slip along line of gathering.
Cut a bias strip of the long cloth one inch wide, as
you did for the bias casing. Begin at the back of the
neck, place the edge of the bias strip even with the raw

The Finished Underslip


122 SEWING AND TEXTILES
must be often worn. Bright colors may be used
appropriately as touches here and there on a dress.
Party dresses are often made of brighter colored
materials than should be used for the school or
street dress. Dark blues, greens and browns,
although good colors to select for wool suits and
coats, wool or silk dresses, are not best to select in
wash materials, because they are hard to launder.
Lighter blues, greens, lavenders, pinks, buffs and
tans are colors very much used in wash dresses.
Pinks should not be too vivid, as paler shades are
more becoming.
To decide on the color for a dress requires thought
and study of one's self. Trying on a dress while
standing before a mirror may lead one to change
one's mind about the color. Observe other people
to learn how certain colors affect their appearance.
Perhaps you have studied color in connection with
your art work. The knowledge so gained can be ap-
plied in selecting the color for your clothing. Color
is the first thing that attracts or repels in a costume,
and should be considered first when selecting a dress.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
PLANNING THE WASH DRESS
Textile study: Test samples of pink, lavender, light
blue and buff chambray to find out how they will launder,
and also whether they will fade in the sun.
If possible, test colors on girls of different types before
the class. Half-yard lengths of silk, wool, or cotton ma-
terials may be used to drape around the shoulders of the
girl.
Select colors suitable for wash dresses to wear to school;
select colors suitable for a coat; colors suitable for a


SEWING AND TEXTILES 123
party dress. Select the most becoming colors for the
chambray dresses to be made in class.
Study the pattern book and select a pattern for a one-
piece dress of any simple design, which would be suitable

Four Steps in Making a Hemmed Patch
to use for a chambray dress. How much chambray will
be needed?
To make a hemmed patch: A hemmed patch is used
where there will be a good deal of strain on the material
and where it is not objectionable to let the stitches
show. It would be used when patching such articles
as a boy's trousers, or under the arm of a corset-cover
or slip. The piece of cloth rsed for making the patch


124 SEWING AND TEXTILES
should be like the garment to be patched. Cut a square
or rectangular piece of cloth for the patch, large enough
to cover the hole and extend beyond the worn part,
allowing one fourth inch extra all around the piece for
turning. Turn down on to the wrong side one fourth
inch on all four sides of this piece. Find the middle
of the patch and place this over the middle of the hole
on the wrong side of the garment; pin into place, hav-
ing the warp threads in the garment and in the patch

Four Steps in Making an Overhand Patch
parallel. If there are stripes, checks, or figures, the
patch must be pinned so that they match. Baste along
folded edge of patch; hem by hand.
Turn garment to right side and cut around the edges
of the hole until it is square or rectangular in shape,
making the edges of the hole at an equal distance from
the folded edge of the patch. At each corner of the
hole make a one fourth inch cut on the diagonal of the
cloth. Turn the edge of the hole down one fourth
inch on to the patch, making the corners square. Baste
along fold; hem by hand. Remove all bastings.


SEWING AND TEXTILES 125
To make an overhand patch: This patch is used where
there will be little strain on the material, and where it
would be objectionable to have the stitches show. A
hole in the skirt of a wash dress or in a waist may be
mended with this patch. Cut the hole square or
rectangular in shape; make a slanting cut at each corner,
as you did in the hemmed patch. Turn under this edge
all around the hole one fourth inch. Measure the
length of the sides of the hole. Cut the patch one
half inch longer each way than the size of the hole,
making the design in the material match before cutting.
Turn the edge of this patch down one fourth inch all
around toward the wrong side. Lay the folded edge
of one side of the patch to the folded edge of one side
of the hole, with the right sides together. Match the
design carefully, or in plain material be sure that the
warp threads of the patch and garment are parallel.
Baste the folded edges together so that they can be
overhanded. Overhand along the folded edges. Re-
move bastings. Repeat the process on each edge of
the square. When it is finished, cut off a tiny triangle
of cloth at each corner of the piece used for the patch,
so that the fullness is removed. Overcast each edge
of the patch and each edge of the hole separately. This
patch, when well done, scarcely shows on the right
side.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What four points should be considered when selecting a
wash-dress material?
2. How may wash materials be tested?
3. When is it wise to purchase "bargains"?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of linen
material for dresses?
5. How should colors for a dress be selected?
6. What colors are good for suits Or coats?
7. How should very bright colors be used?
8. Is color in dress important? Why?


128 SEWING AND TEXTILES
face. Hair-ribbons often make a girl look ridiculous
because the bow is too large for the size of the head
and face.
The only way to learn how to select the well
designed costume is to study one's self carefully,
remembering that the selection of the right color
is very important, and that structural lines may do
much to improve one's appearance.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Find in the fashion books designs for dresses:
(1) emphasizing vertical lines, and (2) emphasizing
horizontal lines. Bring the designs to class for
discussion. Cut out and mount them in "The
Clothing Book"; state under each design what lines
are emphasized and how it is done.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
MAKING THE WASH DRESS
Study the pattern to be used for the dress. How should
it be laid on the material to be most economical of cloth?
Does the length of the pattern need changing? How
will you do this? If tight-fitting sleeves are too long,
take a tuck across the pattern two inches above and two
inches below the elbow, to make the right length. When
the sleeve is too short, cut the pattern across two inches
above the elbow and two inches below the elbow, and pin
between the pieces of the sleeve strips of paper wide enough
to give the needed additional length; shape the edges of
the sleeve. Lay the pattern on the material after it is
adjusted.
Pin all the pieces of the pattern to the material. Cut
out the dress. Follow the directions for making which


130 SEWING AND TEXTILES
for her Commencement dress one that is much more
elaborate than that of any other girl in the class
does not look appropriately dressed. Many schools
now adopt the plan of having the entire class wear
the same type of clothing in order to avoid just
such ill feeling as may be caused by the girl who is
not kind enough to consider her companions. Girls
graduating from the eighth grade should wear for
Commencement simply made white wash dresses
with black or white low-heeled pumps or shoes; never
satin or silk dresses, with French-heeled slippers,
gloves and hats!
Simple wash dresses, or simply made wool dresses,
are appropriate selections for school. The dress
worn by the business girl should be plain and designed
to give perfect freedom for doing her work. The
wash dress is most appropriate for kitchen wear.
A housekeeper looks very badly dressed when she
wears soiled, partly worn, wool or silk dresses in the
kitchen, or when she goes about her work with her
hair uncombed.
Waists, dresses, or other clothing made from cheap
materials or trimmed with coarse, cheap lace and
embroidery make one appear poorly dressed. No
well dressed person selects such clothing. When
she cannot afford to buy the elaborate clothing made
from good materials, she selects the simpler clothing
of good quality and with less trimming.
When a good quality of cloth is selected for a
dress, use trimmings that are of as good quality,
or else go without trimming. Cheap pearl buttons
often spoil an otherwise attractive garment. Fre-
quently, by removing the cheap buttons when they
are used as trimming, or by replacing them with


SEWING AND TEXTILES 131
good pearl buttons, a garment will be greatly
improved in appearance.
No matter how carefully the dress has been chosen
and designed, unless the hair is properly arranged,
the hair-ribbon of the right color and size, the shoes
and stockings of the right style, and the proper
amount and kind of jewelry worn, the girl does not
look appropriately or well dressed. No young girl
needs to curl her hair; she should never use the
curling-iron on it, as this breaks and injures the hair.
The hair should be arranged in a simple way, and
when a ribbon is worn, the color of the ribbon must
suit the girl's complexion and must harmonize in
color with the rest of her clothing. A girl should
never use powder or paint if she wishes to look properly
dressed. Shoes must be polished and stockings in
good order, to look well with any dress. A girl
should wear little jewelry. Nothing spoils a girl's
appearance more than wearing cheap jewelry.
Every girl wishes to be well dressed, and to achieve
this the clothing must be neat, made of good ma-
terials, of the proper color and design, with the right
structural lines, and appropriate to the time, the
place and the circumstances. It is every woman's
duty, and usually her desire, to look well dressed;
therefore it is worth while for the girl in school to
begin to study clothing with the thought in mind
of selecting that which is appropriate for herself and
which will make her unconscious of her appearance.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
From the fashion book select pictures of garments
which you consider proper to wear: 1, two dresses


132 SEWING AND TEXTILES
for school; 2, a coat; 3, two wash petticoats;
4, a combination suit or slip; 5, a party dress.
Find a picture of the proper kind of shoes to wear
to school; of a suitable hat for school; of a suitable
hat for "dress-up" occasions. Bring them to school
for discussion. Cut out and mount in'' The Clothing
Book."
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the wash dress (Continued)
Continue work on the dress.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. When is clothing appropriate?
2. Discuss "Commencement" clothing.
3. What kind of dress is appropriate to wear to school?
4. How can a dress be spoiled with trimming?
5. Discuss the selection of hair-ribbons.
6. Under what conditions may a beautiful dress look badly?
7. What points must a well dressed gill consider when
selecting her clothing?
SOME POINTS FOR THE CONSUMER
It is estimated that the women of the United
States spend a billion of dollars a year for textile
materials. Many women know very little about
buying textiles, which explains why there are many
cheap and adulterated materials put on the market.
The cheap and adulterated materials make it difficult
for the woman who is a careful buyer to select good
materials. We have no Pure Textile law in this
country to protect us from adulterated fabrics, as
the Pure Food law protects us from adulterated
food. In order to buy intelligently and wisely, one


136 SEWING AND TEXTILES
labeled with the Consumers' League label. This
is a printed tag, fastened to the garment, and can
be used only by factories where the working condi-
tions meet the standards of the League. Perhaps
you have seen garments with this label.
2. Is the material of good quality and suitable for
the garment?
3. Is the garment well made, so that the seams
will hold and the trimmings not pull apart? Coarse
or crooked stitching spoils the appearance of a
garment. Ready-made garments, such as dresses,
coats, or suits, may often be bought at a lower
price when purchased "out of season." Winter
garments are sold for less in January and February,
and summer clothes in July and August. If one
selects a garment of a style that will look well the
following season, it is economy to buy "out of
season."
When planning the wardrobe for any season, first
look over all garments left from the previous year
to see which can be mended or made over; then
decide what new garments will be needed. It
requires careful thought and planning to buy wisely,
and whoever wishes to make the best use of her
money must know many things about textiles before
she can make the best selections.
HOME PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
Write a composition on "The Selection of Cloth-
ing" to read in class. Put this in "The Clothing
Book."


SEWING AND TEXTILES 141
as somewhat flattened and composed of two fila-
ments.
Burning tests. By burning threads pulled from
materials one may often judge somewhat of their
quality. Light the end of the thread and observe
the odor given off and the manner in which it burns.
Cotton and linen threads burn quickly, with a
flame, and little odor
is apparent.
Silk and wool
threads burn slowly,
char, and smell like
burned feathers.
Weighted silk
burns very slowly
and, if very heavily
weighted, the form
of the silk remains
after burning.
Testing the strength
of fabrics. A fabric WooL FlBER8 Maqnifibd
is not strong and
does not wear well when it is made of a poor
fiber; of weak threads in the warp and strong
threads in the woof, or vice versa; or if woven
poorly. Pull apart the material and test both warp
and woof threads by pulling. Try tearing ma-
terials, such as muslin, long cloth and gingham.
If they tear with little effort the cloth is not so
good as it should be. By holding a piece of
cloth firmly with both hands and pressing down
on the surface with both thumbs one may deter-
mine whether the material is firmly woven. If
the threads push apart easily the material will be


SEWING AND TEXTILES 143
Silk materials are weighted by adding chemicals,
and the tests above do not apply. A weighted
silk may be burned, a square sample being used
instead of a thread. If the silk is weighted it retains
its shape after burning.
Chemical tests. Chemical tests are the most
dependable in determining the quality of cloth,
but many of them require a considerable equipment
and a knowledge of chemistry; therefore, in testing
materials at home, only a few tests can be used.
The following are some very simple tests:
To determine the amount of cotton in a wool sample.
Place the sample in a porcelain dish, cover with a
5 per cent solution of caustic potash (this can be
purchased of the druggist), boil gently for fifteen
minutes, remove what remains with a glass rod, rinse
in clear water and dry. The part of the sample
left is the cotton in the material, as the wool is
destroyed by the caustic potash. If nothing is left
of the sample after it has been boiled, it is all-
wool.
To determine the amount of cotton in a silk material.
Follow directions given in the first test. The silk
will be destroyed and the cotton will remain.
To determine the amount of cotton in a linen material.
Pull out the warp and woof threads on two sides
of the sample, so that a deep fringe is formed.
Place the fringed sample in a porcelain dish; cover
with a 50 per cent solution of caustic potash (ob-
tained from the druggist), and heat for two minutes;
remove sample with glass rod, dry between blotting-
papers. The linen will be dark yellow or orange
in color, and the cotton white or light yellow.
This test is easily used on white flannel.


144 SEWING AND TEXTILES
To determine whether silk is "true" or artificial.
Place the sample in nitric acid, remove and observe
color; true silk turns yellow, artificial silk is not
affected.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
making the wash dress (Continued)
Textile study: Make as many of the tests described
above as possible.
Continue work on the dress.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. In what ways are fabrics adulterated?
2. Describe the different fibers as they appear under the
microscope.
3. Name some types of materials in which weighting is some-
times found.
4. Why do we wish to avoid buying materials that are
weighted?
5. What effect does weighting have on silk?
6. In what two ways may a linen cloth be tested to find
whether it is all-linen?
7. Name some materials likely to be adulterated with
cotton.
8. In what ways should a gingham be tested before it is
purchased for a dress?
9. In what ways should long cloth and cambric be tested?
10. How should a silk material be tested before purchasing?
a wool material?
11. Does the price of a material fully indicate its value?
12. Why is it worth while, whenever possible, to test mate-
rials before purchasing?
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Gifts that can be used, or that really give pleasure
to the person receiving them, are the proper ones
to select. Gifts that cannot be used or enjoyed by


SEWING AND TEXTILES 145
those receiving them show either bad taste or else
a lack of thought on the part of the donor. A
beautiful Christmas card may give more pleasure
to some persons than any other gift that could be
selected. It is not the cost, but its fitness, that
makes the worth-while gift.
Hand-made gifts are especially desirable, because
they represent time and thought spent for the pur-
pose of giving pleasure to those receiving the gifts.
The following are simple gifts that can be made at
school or at home by the members of the sewing-
class.
Cover-bag: Materials — three and one half yards wash
material, 27 to 30 inches wide; lawn, dimity, or similar
materials are suitable. Thread to suit materials.
Cotton embroidery floss.
Straighten the ends of the material. Fold together
so that the ends are even and the right side of the ma-
terial is inside. Make a plain seam one fourth inch
wide down each lengthwise edge. Turn the bag with
right side out. Across each end make a hem one inch
wide, and feather-stitch with the embroidery floss.
Find the center point on the fold at the top of the bag.
Cut out a round piece of the cloth at this center point,
making the hole about the size of a dollar. Make a
very narrow bias facing around the hole, following
directions given for facing armhole of underslip.
Feather-stitch the facing down to the material, using
embroidery floss. This hole slips over the hook on the
coat-hanger.
Linen money-bag: This is a suitable gift for any one who
travels.
Materials — A piece of white linen, 8§ inches long
and 4| inches wide. Thread to suit material. A piece
of chamois five inches long and four inches wide. One





INDEX
Absorbent cotton, 22
Absorbents for grease stains, 112
Adulteration, in fabrics, tests for,
143-144
of cotton goods, 52-54
of wool, 81
Albatross, 89
"All-linen" toweling, 67
Alpaca, 80, 88
Alpine Rose, muslin, 32
Angora goat, 80
Apron gingham, 18
Apron, sewing-, 10, 11,16-18, 21,
23-28
Artificial silk, 97
Baby ribbon, 55
Back-stitching, 95
Band, for sewing-apron, 17
"Bargains ", delusions in, 133
Basting, 9
Basting-stitches, 9
Bathing, 114
Bath towel, 68
Batiste, embroidery on, 91
Beadings, 47, 93
Berkeley cambric, 33
Bias casings, 57-59
Blanket-stitch, 27
on collar, 137-138
Bleaching, agent, 111-113
cotton, 29
linen, 74
Bobbin, 29
Bolt, of cotton cloth, 30
Breaking flax, 73, 74
Brilliantine, 88
Broadcloth, 88
Budget, the, 101
Burr-picker wool cleaner, 84
Buttonhole scissors, 4
Buttonholes, making, 25-27
Buttons, sewing on, 25
Calico, 40
Cambric, 33
embroidery on, 91
Camel, 80
Canton flannel, 41
Carding, 29
Care, of clothing, 106-109
Cartwright, Edmund, inventor
of cotton loom, 29
Cashmere, 89
Casings, 57
Chain-stitch, on collar, 138
Challie, 89
Chambray, 19
Cheesecloth, 41
Cheviot, 88
Chiffon, 65
China silk, 65
Chintz, 41
Chloroform, 112
Christmas gifts, making, 144-147
Cloth, 15-16
dyeing, 49-50
examination of, 16
making cotton, 28-30
woolen, 83-85
Cloth beam, 29
Clothing, appropriate, 129-131
care of, 106-109
cost of, 101
149


INDEX
153
Pocket, for sewing-apron, 31
Pongee, 65
Pressing garments, 107-108
Pure Food Law, 132
Quilt, patchwork, 36
Ready-made garments, 103
selection of, 134-136
Reeling silk, 61-62
Retting flax, 72
Ribbon, 55-57
Rippling flax, 71
Rubbers, care of, 108
Ruffle, on underslip, 82, 104
Running-stitches, 9-10
Russian crash, 75
"Sampler", 36
Sateen, 42
Satin, 65
Scallops, in embroidery, 91
on edge of collar, 139
School, dress appropriate for, 130
Scissors, 3, 8
buttonhole, 4
how to hold, 8
Scotch gingham, 19
Scouring wool, 84
Scutching flax, 73, 74
Seam, 38-40
Selvedge, 15
Serge, 88
Sewing, care of work, 6
implements for, 3-9
position when, 5
use of coarse thread for, 5
Sewing-apron, 10-11, 30-31, 35
making the, 16-18, 21, 23-28
materials for, 10-11, 16
Sewing-basket, 3
implements for, 3-9
preferable to bag or box, 3
Sewing-machine, 36-40
Shearing, 80
Shears, 3-4
Sheep, 80
Sheeting, 76
Shoddy, in wool, 81
Shoe laces, 108
Shoes, 115
care of, 108
Shuttle, 29
Silk, 15
cloth, 15
chiffon, 65
China, 65
crepe de Chine, 65
pongee, 65
satin, 65
taffeta, 65
velvet, 65
fabric, test for cotton in,
143
test for "true" or artificial,
143-144
fibers, 140-141
looms, 64
making of, 59-65
raising, 59-60
stockings, 97
Silkworms, 60-61
Singer, Isaac M., improves sew-
ing-machine, 36
Single-thread sewing-machine, 37
Sizing, cotton, 29
too much not desirable, 120
Slender figure, pattern suitable
for, 127
Snap fasteners, 108
Solvents for stains, 112
Spinning, 16
Stains in clothing, to remove,
110-113
Starch, 112
Stitches, back, 95
basting, 9
blanket, 27, 137-138
chain, 138
cross, 77


INDEX
155
Weighting, cotton cloth, 53
silk, 64
teste for, 142-143
Whitney, Eli, inventor of cotton
gin, 23
Wilson, Allan B., improves sew-
ing-machine, 36
Woof, 15
Wool, 15, 80-90
fiber, 80, 140
stockings, 97
teste for cotton in, 143
Woolen cloth, 15
Woolen material, albatross, 89
alpaca, 88
brilliantine, 88
broadcloth, 88
cashmere, 89
challie, 89
cheviot, 88
Woolen material — Continued
covert cloth, 89
flannel, 89
Henrietta, 89
homespun, 88
ladies' cloth, 88
melton, 89
mohair, 88 *
serge, 88
tweed, 88
Woolen underwear, washing, 115
Woolen yarn, 84, 85
Worsted yarn, 84, 85
Yarn, cotton, 29
woolen, 84, 85
worsted, 84, 85
Yolk, oil from wool fiber, 83
Zephyr Gingham, 19